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eTTH Congress,) HOUSE OF REPKESENTATIVES. (Document 
Jfth Session. ) ( No. 511. 

DS 685 

.fl25 

1922 

Copy 1 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



^v 



THE PHILIPPINE PARLIAMENTARY MISSION'S STATEMENT OF 
ACTUAL CONDITIONS IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND A 
SUMMARY OF PHILIPPINE PROBLEMS. 



December 18, 1922. — Ordered to be printed. 

Philippine Parliamentary Mission to the United States, 1922. 

Hon. Manuel L. Quezon, president of the senate, chairman on the 
part of the senate. 

Hon. Sergio Osmena, speaker house of representatives, chairman 
on the part of the house. 

Hon. Pedro Guevara, senator, chairman pro tempore on the part of 
the senate. 

Hon. Jose G. Generoso, representative, chairman pro tempore on 
the part of the house. 

Hon. Antero Soriano, senator, member. 

Hon. Santiago A. Fonacier, senator, member. 

Hon. Ceferino de Leon, senator, member. 

Hon. Teodoro Sandiko, senator, member. 

Hon. Guillermo F. Pablo, representative, member. 

Hon. Pedro Abad wSantos, representative, member. 

Hon. Celestino Gallares, representative, member. 

Hon. Vicente Llanes, representative, member. 

Hon. Juan Nolasco, representative, member. 

Hon. Emilio P. Virata, representative, member. 

Hon. Proceso Sebastian, representative, member. 

Hon. Teodoro M. Kalaw, secretary of the interior, honorary 
member. 

Hon. Jorge B. Vargas, director of lands, secretary. 

Prof. Maximo M. Kalaw, dean. College of Liberal Arts, University 
of the Philippines, chairman of technical advisers. 

Mr. Wencesko Trinidad, collector of internal revenue, technical 
adviser. j^ 

Prof. Jorge Bocobo, dean. College of Law, University of the 
Philippines, technical adviser. 

Dr. Antonio G. Sison, professor. College of Medicine and Surgery, 
University of the Philippines, technical adviser. 

Mr. Arsenio N. Luz, ex-Philippine commercial agent, New York, 
technical adviser. 



2 riLIPi:N"0 APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. ^ A^^T 

Dr. Justo Lukban, ex-mayor city of Manila, technical adviser. 

Mr. Benito Razon, merchant, assistant secretary. 

Dr. Jose Albert, professor. College of Medicine and Surgery, 
University of the Philippines, physician. * 

Mr. Ricardo Summers, clerk of Manila court of first instance, 
secretary to President Quezon. 

Mr. Francisco Zamora, private secretary to Speaker Osmena. 

Mr. Pablo de Guia, bank examiner, disbursing officer. 

Mr. Carlos P. Romulo, assistant editor, the Philippines Herald, 
publicity agent. 

Memorial to the President and Congress of the United 

States. 

With the deepest sense of loyalty and confidence in the American 
people, the Philippine Legislature has decided to send the present 
parliamentary mission to the United States. The mission brings a 
message of good will and friendship from the Filipino people to the 
people of the United States, and is charged to resume the negotia- 
tions for the independence of the Philippines begun by the first 
mission sent in 1919. 

The people of the Philippine Islands yearn to see the fulfillment 
of their aspirations for national existence. This desire, always 
strong, has grown with every year. While the great war was on 
they desisted from active agitation for independence, not because it 
had become less dear to them, but because they felt the broad issues 
of freedom and democracy for the world depended upon the out- 
come of that war, and because their loyalty and affection to the 
United States bade them lay aside for the moment their own cause 
for the sake of that which embraced all mankind. 

Realizing that the war ideals of America were their own, that the 
struggle for democracy and the rights of smaller peoples was also 
their own struggle, they placed all the resources of the islands at the 
disposal of the United States and offered their sons for the battle 
fields of Europe. As expressed by the then highest American rep- 
resentative in the Philippines, '^ Every sentiment, every impulse, 
every hope of the Filipinos was enlisted in the cause of the United 
Sta,tes.'' 

the first PHILIPPINE MISSION. 

With the ending of the war the Filipino people felt that the prin- 
ciple for which they had contended had triumphed with the triumph 
of the Allies and the associated powers. With hopes renewed and 
faith strengthened, they resumed the work for their own cause. 
Hence, on March 8, 1919, the Philippine Legislature approved what 
was officially known as the '^Declaration of purposes," which remains 
to-day an official authoritative pronouncement of the people on what 
should be their attitude toward, and relations with, the United States. 

The Philippine Legislature declared that the ''stable government" 
required in the preamble of the Jones law as the only prerequisite to 
independence had already been established in the Philippines ; hence 
''a full and final exchange of views between the United States of 
America and the Philippine Islands" was deemed necessary. The 
time had come for t he fulfillme nt of tlie American pledge. The first 

JANli4l9g3 

OOOUlVlfiHtS DlVisi§N 

. I— t in- rnffiioimrTr" — ~"— '^^ 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 3 

Philippine mission was asked to '^ convey to the Government of the 
United States the frankest assurances of the good will, friendship, and 
gratitude of the Filipino people and to submit with as much respect 
as confidence the question of Philippine independence with a view to 
its final settlement.'^ 

PRESIDENT Wilson's recommendation. 

When the first mission reached the United States, however, it found 
the American people and Government still absorbed in their inter- 
national problems. The President was in Europe negotiating the 
treaty of Versailles ; but realizing that the fulfillment of the American 
obligations toward the Philippines could not be dela3^ed any longer, 
he requested the Secretary of War to receive the mission in his behalf 
and expressed the belief that the end was almost in sight of the work 
undertaken in the islands by Americans and Filipinos. 

Soon thereafter, when the American people and Government had 
been relieved of many of their pressing international burdens and 
distractions, the petition of the Philippine Legislature through the 
Philippine mission received the favorable indorsement of the ad- 
ministration in Washington. President Wilson, in his message to 
Congress on December 2, 1920, officially recognized the fulfillment of 
the only condition required of the Philippines as a prerequisite to a 
separate national existence — a stable government — and formally 
recommended the immediate granting of independence. He said: 

Allow me to call your attention to the^act that the people of the Philippine Islands 
have succeeded in maintaining a stable government since the last action of the Con- 
gress in their behalf, and have thus fulfilled the condition set by the Congress as 
precedent to a consideration of granting independence to the islands. 

I respectfully submit that this condition precedent having been fulfilled , it is now 
our liberty and our duty to keep our promise to the people of those islands by granting 
them the independence which they so honorably covet. 

This recommendation was made after the highest representative of 
America in the Philippines, the Governor General, had officially cer- 
tified both to Congress and to the President of the United States 
that a stable government had already been established in the islands. 

everything was ready for fulfillment of promise. 

It is a fact, therefore, that immediately prior to the coming into 
power of the present administration the Philippine question was on 
the eve of solution. The solemn covenant, as the author of the Jones 
law had called it, between the American and the Filipino peoples was 
about to be fulfilled. The Philippine Legislature had declared that 
there was a stable government in the Philippines, and the highest 
Magistrate of the United States and the American representative in 
the Philippines concurred in the view. 

We beg to submit that the last 15 months that have elapsed- since 
the new administration has assumed office have not altered the situa- 
tion. The same stable government exists. Contrary to what some 
may aver, the phrase '^ a stable government" does not convey a vague 
and indefinite condition. It has a specific and well-established mean- 
ing. The international relations of the United States for the last 
century and a half, especially her dealings with the South American 
countries, bear this statement out. 



4 FILIPINO APPEAL FOE FREEDOM. 

President McKinley, in addressing the Cuban people, defined a 
stable government as one '^capable of maintaining order and observ- 
ing its international obligations, insuring peace and tranquillity and 
the security of its citizens as well as our own." It must be remem- 
bered that the term ^^ stable government" in the Jones law had been 
adopted directly from the American promises to the Cuban people. 
It can not, therefore, but have the same meaning. It is worth noting 
that recently a similar interpretation has been given to that phrase 
by the League of Nations. 

WOOD-FORBES REPORT DOES NOT DENY STABLE GOVERNMENT. 

No American official, whether of the past or the present adminis- 
tration, has denied the statement of the Philippine Legislature, the 
certificate of the Governor General, and the finding of the President 
of the United States to the effect that we have established the '^stable 
government" required by the Jones law, in accordance with the 
interpretation the universal usage has assigned to these words. Even 
the report of the Wood-Forbes mission, which is unwarrantably 
severe and critical, does not deny this assertion. 

Mckinley's and root's definition of stable government. 

There are apparently in President McKinley's estimate two main 
elements in a stable government — first, ability to maintain order 
and insure peace and tranquillity and the security of citizens; second, 
ability to observe international obSgations. To those two elements 
Mr. Root in his instructions for the Cuban people added the follow- 
ing: It must rest upon the peaceful suffrages of the people and must 
contain constitutional limitations to protect the people from the 
arbitrary actions of the government. All these elements are to be 
found in the Philippines to-day. 

PRESENT PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT SATISFIED ALL CONDITIONS. 

It is admitted by the Wood-Forbes mission that order has been 
properly maintained and that our insular police or constabulary 

has proved itself to be dependable and thoroughly efficient" (p. 23 
of the report) . The tranquillity and security of the citizens are not 
jeopardized. ^^They are naturally an orderly and law-abiding 
people" (p. 19), said the report. 

As to obligations for international life, the Wood-Forbes mission 
recognizes that there are people in our service that would do credit 
to any government. ^' We find that the legislative chambers are 
conducted with dignity and decorum and are composed of repre- 
sentative men" (p. 45), observed the Wood-Forbes report. 

The Filipino people are by nature and tradition hospitable and 
courteous to foreigners. There has been no antiforeign agitation 
or outbreak. The business of foreigners has been amply protected 
and will continue to be so protected under an independent Philip- 
pines. During the short-lived Philippine Republic prisoners of war 
were treated according to the law of nations, and there was security 
for foreigners. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOE FEEEDOM. O 

ORDERLY ELECTIONS. 

The insular, provincial, and municipal governments of the Philip- 
pines rest on the free and peaceful suffrage of the people. The people 
elect members of the insular legislature, provincial governors, mem- 
bers of the provincial boards, municipal presidents, and members of 
the municipal councils. Speaking of the elections of 1919, the report 
said : 

Interest in the elections was widespread and election day passed without any serious 
disturbances. There was a general, quiet acceptance by the minority of the results 
of the popular vote * * * (p. 42). 

The elections held a few days ago, though vigorously contested, 
have again demonstrated the capacity of the Filipino people for the 
orderly exercise of popular franchise. 

CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTIE S . 

The structure and workings of our government also conform to the 
standard defined by Mr. Root in that it is ^'subject to the limitations 
and safeguards which the experience of a constitutional government 
has shown to be necessary to the preservation of individual rights." 
The Filipino people fought for such constitutional safeguards during 
the Spanish regime. A modern bill of rights was inserted in the 
constitution of the Philippine Republic. Our present constitutional 
limitations and safeguards have been in operation since 1900, when 
President McKinley, in his instructions to the second Philippine 
Commission, set down as inviolable rules the fundamental provisions 
of the American Bill of Rights. These provisions, with slight modi- 
fication, were later included in the organic act of 1902, and again set 
forth in the Jones law of 1916. For more than 20 years, therefore, 
the Philippine government has been subject to constitutional prac- 
tices. They are embedded in the political life of the people, and no 
matter what political change ma}^ occur in the Philippines they will 
find no material alteration. An impartial judiciary is there to enforce 
them. 

COMPETENT JUDICIARY. 

''The supreme court," said the Wood-Forbes report, ''has the 
respect and confidence of the Filij)ino people" (p. 24). The courts 
of first instance, now mostly presided over by Filipinos ever since 
1914, have maintained a standard which, in general, compares favor- 
ably with the State courts of the Union. From August 31, 1911, to 
September 1, 1913, during the last two years of Governor Forbes's 
administration, only 25.1 per cent of the decisions appealed from these 
courts were reversed by the supreme court. From March 3, 1919, 
to March 4, 1921, another period of two years with Filipinos in control, 
the percentage of reversals was decreased to 20.8 per cent. The 
number of cases disposed of by the courts of first instance from 1906 
to 1913, inclusive, was as much as 82,528. The total number of cases, 
disposed of for the same length of time, with Filipinos in control 
(1914 to 1921, inclusive), was 117,357, or an increase of 34,829, or 42 
per cent. 



b FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

GENERAL PROGRESS. 

The last eight years, in which the Filipinos have been given a 
larger control of governmental affairs, have also seen a notable 
increase of the agencies of social and political progress, such as schools, 
roads, public buildings, hospitals, etc. In 1913, when the Filipino 
people had even less share in the government than they have now, 
there were enrolled in the public schools 440,050 pupils; in 1921 
there were nearly a million (943,422). In 1913 there were only 
2,934 public schools; in 1920 there were 5,944. In 1913 there were 
2,171 kilometers of first-class roads in operation; in 1921 the figure 
was 4,698.8, in addition to about 5,000 kilometers of second-class 
roads. In 1913 there were no dispensaries where the poor could be 
given medical treatment; in 1921 there were over 800. In 1913 the 
appropriation for medical aid to the poor was 1Pl,548,317.25; in 1921 
the sum was ^3,153,828. 

Social and economic progress has also been tremendous during this 
period. In 1913 there were hardly a dozen women's clubs; in 1921 
there were 342 in active work. In 1913 the volume of Philippine 
commerce was only ^202,171,484; in 1920 it swelled to ^601,124,276. 
The cultivated area in 1913 was 2,361,483 hectares, as compared with 
3,276,942 hectares in 1920 — 238.7 per cent increase. 

The present conditions in the Philippines, even as alleged in the 
Wood-Forbes report, compare favorably with those existing in many 
nations whose right to national sovereignty is not open to the least 
question. 

These are incontrovertible facts which no impartial witness can 
deny. 

COMPLETE AND ABSOLUTE INDEPENDENCE DESIRED. 

The present parliamentary mission in which all political parties 
of the Philippine Islands are represented — the two wings of the 
Nationalist Party, on the one hand, and the Democrata Party on 
the other — has been sent by the Philippine Legislature to ask for 
immediate, complete, and absolute independence of the Philippines. 
This desire is not born of ingratitude toward the United States nor 
does it show lack of appreciation of the risks and dangers of inter- 
national life. It is the logical outcome of more than 20 years of 
patient labors jointly undertaken by the Americans and Filipinos. 
The Filipino people^ firmly believe that the time has come when 
this question should be settled once for all. Further delay in the 
fulfillment of America's pledge contained in the Jones law will 
only result in injury to the best interests of both peoples. 

THE FAVORABLE INTERNATIONAL SITUATION. . 

Three years ago the impression of the members of the first Philip- 
pine mission was that the main objection in the minds of many 
.Americans to the immediate independence of the Philippines was 
the danger of foreign aggression. While this is entuely outside of 
the question as to whether we have complied with the requirements 
of the Jones law, it ma}' not be amiss to call the attention of those 
Americans to the great change in international affairs which has 
taken place since the visit of the last mission. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FEEIiDOM. / 

THE WASHINGTON CONFERENCE. 

Wholesome relationship has especially been established in the 
Pacific area. The recent Washington conference has cleared away 
many doubts and misgivings. 

Surely, after that conference has been hailed the world over as a 
solid foundation for international peace, the United States can not, 
without showing lack of faith in her own work, now say that she will 
not grant independence to the Philippines for fear of foreign hostile 
designs. 

In the words of the President of the United States, that conference 
was called — 

to provide some means whereby just, thoughtful, righteous peoples, who are not 
seeking to seize something which does not belong to them, can Ua^o peaceably together 
and eliminate cause of conflict. 

While the Filipino people realize that the international situation is 
not a necessary part of the condition prescribed in the Jones law as 
a prerequisite to independence, they crave the distinction of becom- 
ing the first nation to take advantage of the new order of things 
brought about by the Washington conference. 

IRELAND, EGYPT, AND INDIA. 

To the favorable international atmosphere may be added the fact 
that the first of colonial powers is already reversing her former 
policies. She has granted recognition of freedom and equahty to 

Eeoj)les hitherto held as subjects and vassals. Egypt has regained 
er independence. The Irish people have been asked to enter into 
an agreement with England, looking to the establishment of a free 
State. Liberal institutions are now being established in India. 

TRIUMPH OF AMERICAN IDEALS. 

We see in all these events the gradual triumph of American ideals, 
especially of that fundamental American principle that declared that 
governments derive their just powers from the consent of the gov- 
erned. 

Hence we come to Arnerica in the full expectation that the United 
States can do no less than other nations have done to their dependen- 
cies; that she can not now refrain from practicing those principles 
which were initiated by her and followed by her sister nations; that 
she can not now refuse specific realization of those purposes and ideals, 
which found eloquent expression in her spokesmen both in times of 
war and in times of peaceful reconstruction; and that she will make 
the Filipino people a determining factor in the relationship that should 
exist between the United States and the only unincorporated and ' 
subject country now under the American flag. 

MISSION HAS FULL POWERS. 

We therefore submit our case with faith and confidence, frankly 
and without evasion. It is the case of the Filipino people whom in 
fact and in law we represent, for certainly under the present circum- 
stances no other agency can speak or act with as much authority on 



8 FILIPINO APPEAL POR FEEEDOM. 

what the Filipino people want or on Philippine conditions in general 
as their duly accredited representatives. That is the very essence 
of representative government. 

THE TIME FOR INDEPENDENCE IS THE PRESENT. 

We reiterate that the present is the time for the United States com- 
pletely to discharge its obligations to the Philippines. The Filipino 
people have fulfilled their part in the covenant with America. Their 
relations with the United States are of the most cordial and friendly 
nature. If the independence of the Philippines could now be secured 
as an amicable agreement between the two peoples, nay, even as an 
act of magnanimity on the part of a sovereign power, how much 
would that mean for the peace of the world ! How much more would 
that add to the prestige of the United States when she again appears 
before the world as a champion of democracy and human liberty ! 
Very respectfully, 

Manuel L. Quezon, chairman on the part of the senate; Senators 
Pedro Guevara, Antero Soriano, Ceferino de Leon, Santiago Fonacier, 
Teodoro Sandiko. 

Sergio Osmena, chairman on the part of the house of representa- 
tives; Representatives Jose G. Generoso, Guillermo F. Pablo, Celestino 
Gallares, Vicente Llanes, Juan Nolasco, Emilio P. Virata, Proceso 
Sebastian, Pedro Abad Santos. 

Teodoro M. Kalaw, honorary member; Jorge B. Vargas, secretary 
of the mission. 

Maximo M. Kalaw, technical adviser; Wenceslao Trinidad, technical 
adviser; Jorge Bocobo, technical adviser; Antonio G. Sison, technical 
adviser; Arsenio N. Luz, technical adviser; Justo Lukban, technical 
adviser. 



ACTUAL CONDITIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES. 
I. General Data and Progress of the Philippines (1914-1921). 

AREA. 

There are 7,083 islands, ranging in size from the islet inhabited only 
by tropical birds to Luzon, with its million of people. The total 
land area of the Philippine Archipelago is 114,400 square miles. 
This is in excess of the combined areas of the States of New York, 
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. It is 7,000 square miles 
less than the area of Great Britain. Luzon has 40,814 square miles; 
Mindanao has 36,906 square miles. Next in order are Samar, Negros, 
Palawan, Panay, Mindoro, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, and Masbate. 

CLIMATE. 

The Philippine Islands have a mildly tropical climate. The nights 
are cool, and sunstrokes are unknown. The temperature record 
for the past 30 years shows an average of 80°. In April, May, and 
June, the hot months, the mean average is between 83° and 84°. 
In November, December, January, and February, the cool months. 



FILIPINO APPEAL. FOE FREEDOM. ' 9 

the mean average is between 77° and 79°. Baguio City, a summer 
resort, has a mean average maximum of 80° and a minimum of 53°. 
The recorded death rate per 1,000 whites in Manila for 1917 was 
8.8 as compared with 16.5 for New York, 15 for San Francisco, 14 for 
Chicago, 18 for Glasgow, and 22 for Belfast. 

POPULATION. 

The total population of the Philippines, according to the census of 
1918, is 10,314,310, of which 10,250,273 are Filipinos. Out of this 
9,381,357 are Christians and 932,953 are non-Christians of all 
varieties — Mohammedans, 372,464; Buddhists, 740; Pagans, 402,790; 
and the rest belonging to other religions. 

The following is the classification according to citizenship : 

Filipino 10, 250, 273 

Chinese 43, 802 

Japanese 7, 806 

American 5, 774 

Spanish 3, 945 

Enghsh : 1, 140 

German 286 

French 182 

Swiss 125 

Others 977 

Total 10, 314, 310 

POLITICAL SUBDIVISION. 

The Philippine Islands are divided into 1,289 municipalities and 
municipal districts, which compose 48 Provinces, 11 special Prov- 
inces, and 2 chartered cities. 

LITERACY. 

Literacy in the Philippine Islands in 1918 was 49.2 per cent of 
population over 10 years of age; in Spain in 1910, 40.7 per cent; in 
Porto Rico in 1910, 35.5 per cent; in Siam in 1915, 11.7 per cent; 
and in British India in 1911, 5.9 per cent. Persons with academic 
degrees in the Philippine Islands, 9,428, or 2.9 per thousand. Male 
population of voting age, 2,061,753. Of this 53.3 per cent are 
qualified to vote according to the organic law. 

GOVERNMENTAL REFORMS SINCE 1913. 

(a) Abolishment of the appointive commissioners or upper house 
of the Philippine Legislature. 

(b) Reorganization of the executive departments, providing for 
appearance of cabinet members in legislature, regrouping bureaus and 
ofiices along scientific lines, and unifying their responsibilities. 

(c) Establishment of a budgejb system ahead of the United States. 

(d) More autonomy granted Provinces and municipalities. 

PRESENT GOVERNMENT. 

All expenses of the Philippine Government are borne by the 
Filipino people. 

The passage of the Jones Act by Congress in August, 1916, gave the 
Filipinos a very large share in their own government. With the 



10 • FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

exception of the offices of Governor General, vice governor, and 
insular auditor, all of the important executive and administrative 
offices in the islands are in the hands of native Filipinos. All mem- 
bers of both branches of the legislature are Filipinos, as are also 
the provincial and municipal officials. There has been established in 
the Philippines a stable government of, by, and for the Filipinos, a 
condition precedent to the granting of their independence. The 
time for America to fulffil its pledge has already come, and that 
time is now. 

JUDICIARY. 

The official records of the Supreme Court of the Philippines 
demonstrate that during the last two years preceding Filipino 
autonomy 25.1 per cent of the appealed decisions of the lower courts 
were reversed by the Supreme Court of the Philippines, while during 
the last two years of Filipino control of the government the reversals 
were only 20.8 per cent, or nearly one-fourth less, erroneous decisions 
under Filipino self-government than before that time. 

In 1913 there were 12,000 pending cases disposed of, while in 1921 
the number rose to 16,000, or an increase of one-third. From 1907 
to 1913, for a period of seven years before Filipino autonomy, the 
average yearly number of decrees of titles to land issued by the 
Philippine courts was only 1,935, while from 1914 to 1920, seven 
years of Filipino seK-government, the average yearly number was 
12,396, or an increase of six times. 

EDUCATION. 

Education in the Philippines under Spanish system began with 
the early Spanish settlers. The University of Santo Tomas, in 
Manila, having to-day an attendance of over 700 students, is a 
quarter of a century older than Harvard. 

During the seven years preceding the appointment of a majority 
of Filipinos on the commission (1907-1913) 1P45,859,000 were spent 
for public education; in 1914-1920, ^78,094,000 were spent. In 
1913 there were only 2,934 public schools; in 1920 there were 5,944. 
In 1913 there were only 440,050 punils; in 1921 there were nearly 
1,000,000. ^ 

SOCIAL WELFARE. 

(a) The appropriation for medical aid to the poor in 1913 was 
^1,548,317; in 1921 the sum was ^3,053,828. 

(b) In 1913 there were no dispensaries where the poor could be 
given medical treatment; in 1921 there were over 800. 

(c) In 1913 there were hardly 12 women's clubs; in 1921 there 
were 342. 

ROADS, 

In 1913 there were only 2,171.6 kilometers of first-class roads, 
2,034.3 kilometers of second-class roads, and 3,118.3 of third-class 
roads in operation; in 1921 there were 5,066.2 kilometers of first-class 
roads, 2,044.8 kilometers of second-class roads, and 3,036.6 of third- 
class roads. (1 kilometer equals five-eighths of a mile.) 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 11: 

AGRICULTURE. 

The total number of farms is 1,925,276, and 96 per cent of them are 
owned by the Fihpinos. Ninety-one per cent of the m*ban property 
(consisting of houses and lands) is owned by Filipinos. 

The cultivated area in 1920 was 3,276,942 hectares, as compared 
with 2,361,483 in 1913, or 38.7 per cent increase. 

COMMERCE. 

In 1913 the total foreign commerce was only ^202,171,484; in 
1920 the sum was ^601,124,278. In 1913 the imports from the 
United States were about 50 per cent of the total imports of the 
Philippine Islands. Since that time gradual increase was recorded 
to the extent that in 1920 our imports from the United States repre- 
sent 70 per cent of the total imports. 

REAL PROPERTY. 

Since 1913 the number of parcels of taxable property in the regular 
provinces has an increase of 1,700,000, or more than 100 per cent 
mcrease. The volume of real properties subject to taxation has also 
an increase of over ^800,000,000, or about 280 per cent increase. 

II. Brief Historical Introduction. 

PRE-SPANISH PHILIPPINES. 

It is difficult to know the actual conditions of the Philippines with- 
out some reference to her past. The pre-Spanish history of the Phil- 
ippines is still shrouded in mystery. However, there are several 
outstanding facts which prove that while the islands might have 
been a part at some time or other of some Indian or Malayan empires, 
their connections were slight. They retained a great deal of the 
qualities of independent communities. One American investigator. 
Prof. Austin Craig, of the University of the Philippines, claims that 
a veritable native imperial family reigned in the islands before their 
discovery by Magellan in 1521, and that the first Spanish colonizers 
simply destroyed all records of such Philippine dynasty so as to facili- 
tate the conquest of the archipelago. 

THE PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC. 

Filipino dissatisfaction with Spanish misrule was shown by more 
than a hundred revolutions which, according to the same American 
professor, occurred in the Philippines during the Spanish regime. We 
may mention the most important of them, the revolt of 1896-1898. 
The last part of that revolution was held under the very eyes and with 
the help of American officials. It extended throughout the entire 
Philippines, having wrested from Spanish hands practically every 
foot 01 Philippine territory except Manila, which was in the hands 
of the Americans. It set up the first republic in the Far East based 
on a constitutional government. The Philippine republic has mer- 
ited the commendation of such prominent Republicans as the late 
Senator Hoar and John Barrett, ex-director of the Pan American 
Union. 



12 ruiprN^o appeal fob fbeedom. 

The end of the republic was brought about by the Filipino-American 
war, which lasted for three years. It was, naturally, a one-sided 
struggle, but it was a struggle which showed the firmness and the 
desire of the Filipino people for an independent existence. They 
wanted an independent republic. Had the Filipino people received 
assurances that America would ultimately free them, the war would 
have been avoided. 

INDEPENDENCE ASPIRATIONS. 

s 

Defeated, the Filipino people laid down their arms determined that 
what they had failed to gain in war they would secure through the 
justice, magnanimity, and square dealing of the American people. 
They then began their campaign for independence with peaceful 
means. They accepted American government, anxious to prove to 
the American people not only their political capacity but their untir- 
ing desire to be free. At first the independence movement was not 
an organized one, because in the early years of American occupation 
a law had been passed by the Philippine Commission which prac- 
tically prohibited all agitation for independence. The only political 
party which could very well exist under these conditions was the 
Federal Party, which advocated statehood and permanent annexation 
to the United States. This party, however, soon saw the unpopu- 
larity of its stand, for it could not find supporters either in the Philip- 
pines or in the United States, and so as soon as conditions permitted 
the advocacy of separation it left out the statehood plan and advo- 
cated independence after a period of preparation. In the meanwhile 
a strong independence party had been formed called the Nacionalista 
Party, and at the first national election to the Philippine Assembly 
in 1907 this party won popular favor. 

If there was any doubt as to the attitude of the Filipino people on 
independence this was dispelled by the action of the Philippine 
Assembly, the first national representative body to be convoked fol- 
lowing American occupation. At the end of the first session this 
representative body unanimously ratified the closing address of 
Speaker Osmena on the question of independence. The speaker, in 
part, had said: 

Permit me, gentlemen of the chamber, to declare solemnly before God and before 
the world, upon my conscience as a deputy and representative of my compatriots, and 
under my responsibility as president of this chamber, that we believe the people 
desire independence, and that we believe ourselves capable of leading an orderly 
existence, efficient both in internal and external affairs, as a member of the free and 
civilized nations. 

By virtue of the Philippine bill passed by Congress in 1902 the 
Philippine Assembly was allowed to send a representative to Wash- 
ington to voice the aspirations of the Filipino people. In 1907 the 
Hon. Pablo Ocampo was sent to Washington as Resident Commis- 
sioner, who, in pursuance of the mandate of the assembly, advocated 
the independence of the Philippines. His successors, especially the 
Hon. Manuel I.. Quezon, who was Resident Commissioner froni 1909 
to 1916, continued with vigor the campaign for independence in the 
United States. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 13 

liARLY AMERICAN POLICY TOWARD THE PHILIPPINES. 

America, on the other hand, soon announced a poHcy of attraction. 
She adopted the poHcy of extending step by step the governmental 
powers to the Fihpino people. President McKinley, the man most 
responsible for the acquisition of the Philippines, said in the very 
beginning of American occupation: 

The Philippines are ours, not to exploit but to develop, to civilize, to educate, to 
train in the science of self-government. 

In his instructions to the first Philippine Commission on the 20th 
of January, 1899, he expressed the hope that the commissioners would 
be received as bearers of ^Hhe richest blessings of a liberating rather 
than a conquering nation. " Doctor Schurman, president of the first 
Philippine Coromission, construed the American policy to mean — 

Ever increasing liberty and self-government * * * and it is the nature of such 
continuously expanding liberty to issue in independence. 

President Taft, while civil governor of the Philippine Islands, on 
the 17th of December, 1903, said: 

From the beginning to the end of the state papers which were circulated in these 
islands as authoritative expressions of the Executive the motto that "the Philippines, 
are for the Filipino and that the Government of the United States is here for the 
purpose of preserving the Philippines for the Filipinos, " for their benefit, for their 
elevation, for their civilization, again and again appear * * *, 

Whether an autonomy or independence or quasi independence shall ultimately 
follow in these islands ought to depend solely on the question: Is it best for the Filipino 
people and their welfare? 

When Mr. Taft was Secretary of War in April, 1904, in the course 
of a speech upon the Philippines he said : 

When they — the Filipinos — have learned the principles of successful popular self- 
government from a gradually enlarged experience therein we can discuss the question 
whether independence is what they desire and grant it or whether they prefer the 
retention of a closer association with the country which, by its guidance, has unselfishly 
led them on to better conditions. 

In 1908, after the Philippine Assembly had been opened, President 
Roosevelt, in his message to Congress, said : 

I trust that within a generation the time will arrive when the Filipinos can decide 
for themselves whether it is well for them to become independent or to continue under 
the protection of a strong and .disinterested power, able to guarantee to the islands 
order at home and protection from foreign invasion. 

President Wilson, in a message to the Filipino people delivered by 
Governor Harrison in Manila October 6, 1913, said: 

We regard ourselves as trustees acting not for the advantage of the United States, 
but for the benefit of the people of the Philippine Islands. Every step we take will 
be taken with a view to the ultimate independence of the islands and as a preparation 
for that independence. 

And in his message to Congress on December 2, 1913, the President 
said: 

By their counsel and experience rather than by our own we shall learn how best to 
serve them and how soon it will be possible and wise to withdraw our super\ision. 

THE JONES LAW AND ITS PROMISE. 

In 1911 the Democratic Party, which had advocated independ- 
ence, secured control of the American House of Representatives, 
and the following year the chairman of the Committee on Insular 



14 FILIPIKO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

Affairs, Congressmen William Atkinson Jones, reported a bill pro- 
viding for a qualified independence within eight years and for com- 
plete independence in 1921. In 1914 a bill was passed by the House 
of Representatives providing for independence as soon as a stable 
government could be established in the islands. The bill, however,, 
was crowded out of the calendar in the Senate and failed to be passed- 
The independence movement was constantly gaining ground, and 
two years afterwards, in February, 1916, when Congress again took 
up the Philippine question, the Senate passed the so-called Clarke 
amendment, which would grant the Philippines independence within 
four years, although the time might be extended upon the advice of 
the President to Congress. It was contended in the House of Repre- 
sentatives, however, that it would be unT\dse to set a definite date for 
independence, for nobody knew what the situation would be at the 
time. What the House did was simply to repass the Jones bill it had 
passed in 1914. The Senate receded from its position and passed the 
House bill, which thus became the formal pledge of the American 
people to the Filipino people. 

The title of the Jones law is ''An act to declare the purpose of the 
people of the United States as to the future political status of the 
people of the Philippine Islands, and to provide a more autonomous 
government for those islands." The declaration of purpose is con- 
tained in the following preamble: 

Whereas it was ne\'Ter the intention of the people of the United States in the incip- 
iency of the War with Spain to make it a war of conquest or for territorial aggrandize- 
ment; and 

^^^lereas it is, as it has always been, the purpose of the people of the United States 
to withdraw their sovereignty over the Philippine Islands and to recognize their 
independence as soon as a stable government can be established therein; and 

Whereas, for the speedy accomplishment of such purpose, it is desirable to place in 
the hands of the people of the Philippines as large a control of their domestic affairs 
as can be given them without in the meantime impairing the exercise of the rights of 
sovereignty by the people of the United States in order that by the use and exercise 
of popular franchise and governmental powers they may be the better prepare ' to- 
fully assume the responsibilities and enjoy all the pri^dleges of complete independ- 
ence: Therefore * ^ *. 

The Jones law was received by the Filipino people as the real 
pledge of the American people, for the other statements of American 
Presidents were mere executive opinion not necessarily binding on 
the United States. 

The Jones law has become a virtual constitutional compact between 
the American and Filipino peoples, by means of which the Filipinos 
have accepted a temporary government under American sovereignty ,. 
subject to the conditions: First, that it shall be autonomous, or 
chiefly in the hands of Filipinos; second, that American sovereignty 
shall not now be impaired; and, third, that it shall be only prepara- 
tory to a complete independence, such independence to be granted 
'•'when a stable government can be established in the islands." It 
is, to quote the words of its author, the late Congressman Jones, " the 
everlasting covenant of a great and generous people, speaking through 
their accredited representatives, that the}^ (the Filipinos) shall in 
due time enjoy the incomparable blessings of liberty and freedom." 

FILIPINO COOPERATION DUEING THE WAR. 

After the passage of the Jones law the FiHpino people began the 
establishment of the stable government demanded by Congress 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 16 

as prerequisite to the granting of independence. Shortl}^ afterwards 
the United States entered the war and immediately all agitation for 
independence ceased. It was deemed that an independence campaign 
during the war might embarrass the United States. 

The Filipinos responded to the confidence reposed in them by the 
Government of the United States by themselves offering the service 
of 25,000 men. The Filipino people contributed a submarine and a 
destroyer to the fleet of the United States, and 6,000 of their men 
served in the United States Navy as volunteers. Four thousand 
Filipinos in Hawaii, who could have claimed exemption from the 
draft under the citizenship clause of the draft law, insisted on being 
enrolled under the Stars and Stripes. With the limited resources of 
the Philippines, poor as the Filipino people are, compared with the 
United States, with the aid of American residents in the islands, they 
gave half a million dollars to Red Cross funds and subscribed nearly 
$20,000,000 for Liberty bonds. The Philippine allotment to the 
third Liberty loan was only S3, 000, 000, but $4,625,000 was sub- 
scribed. The allotment to the Fourth Liberty loan was $6,000,000, 
but $12,123,000 was subscribed. ''No other American territory," 
said Governor General Harrison, ''has been more loyal to the United 
States than the Philippines." 

Upon the ending of hostilities in Europe the final adjustment of 
the Philippine independence question became the topic of political 
discussion in the Philippines. It was thought that the time had 
come, now that the United States had ended its war mth Germany , 
to take up the Philippine question for its final definite solution. 

THE DECLARATION OF PURPOSES. 

On March 17, 1919, the Philippine Legislature passed the "Decla- 
ration of purposes," which officially stated the attitude of the 
Filipino people on this vital problem. It was the authoritative 
voice of the Filipino people addressing the United States and the 
world. 

What the Filipino people said in this declaration of purposes was, 
briefly, that the time had come for the final and definite adjustment 
of the independence question. They reiterated their firm belief in 
the good faith of the American people in extending the blessings of 
self-government and holding out generous promises of independence. 
They referred to the Jones law as a veritable pact or covenant 
entered into between the American and Filipino peoples whereby 
the United States promised to recognize the independence of the 
Philippines as soon as a stable government should be established in 
the Philippines. They then solemnly stated that they had already 
performed their part of the covenant with America, that there is 
now a stable government in the Philippines satisfying the conditions 
of stability required by the United States of other countries, and that 
therefore it was now for the American people to perform their part 
of the covenant. The declaration of purposes read: 

The Philippine question has reached such a stage that a full and final exchange of 
views between the United States of America and the Philippine Islands has become 
necessaiy. We need not repeat the declarations respecting the national aspirations 
of the Filipino people. Such declarations have been made" from time to time in the 
most fi-ank and solemn manner by the constitutional representatives of the Philippine 
nation and are a matter of permanent record in public documents covering more 



16 FILrPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

than a decade of persistent efforts, particularly during the last three years. America, 
on her part, has been sufficiently explicit in her purposes from the beginning of her 
occupation of the Philippines. * * * 

In applying the principles enunciated in documents and utterances on the Philip- 
pines to the conditions now existing in the islands, the Independence Commission 
will find the following facts: 

That there exists at present in the Philippine Islands the conditions of order and 
government which America has for nearly a century and a half required in all cases 
in which she has recognized the independence of a country or the establishment of 
a new government, not even excepting the case of General Huerta's government in • 
Mexico, which she refused to recognize because it was stained with blood and founded 
on intrigue, violence, and crime. 

That there exist likewise in the Philippines all the conditions of stability and 
guaranties for law and order that Cuba had to establish to the satisfaction of America 
in order to obtain her independence, or to preserve it, during the mihtarv occupation 
of 1898-1903 and during the intervention of 1906-1909, respectively. 

That the "preparation for independence" and the "stable government" required 
by President Wilson and the Congress of the United States, respectively, contain no 
new requisite not included in any of the cases above cited. 

That these prerequisites for Philippine independence are the same as those \irtually 
or expressly established by the Republican administrations that preceded President 
Wilson's administration. 

Therefore, so far as it is humanly possible to judge and say, we can see only >one aim 
for the Independence Commission, independence; and we can give only one instruction, 
to get it. Thus America, in adding another glory to her banner by establishing the 
first really democratic republic in the east, will apply a second time, generously and 
freely, the same measure of humanity and justice that she applied in the case of Cuba. 

The representative of the American Government in the Phihp pines 
who supervised the establishment of the Government under the 
Jones law, Governor General Harrison, has concurred in the claim of 
the Philippine Legislature as to a stable government. He reported 
to Congress through the joint committees which heard the Philippine 
mission that there was abeady in the Philippine Islands the stable 
Government demanded by Congress, namely, '^ a government elected 
by the suffrages of the people, which is supported by the people, 
which is capable of maintaining order and of fulfilling its interna- 
tional obligations." 

President Wilson in his farewell message to Congress officially cer- 
tified that the Filipino people have already performed the condition 
imposed upon them as a prerequisite to independence and recom- 
mended the immediate granting of independence. 

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE JONES LAW. 

The coming of the Eepublican Party does not alter the constitu- 
tional position of the Filipino people. The Republican Party is just 
as much responsible for the present independence policy as the 
Democratic Party. 

T^Tiile the Jones law was passed during a Democratic administra- 
tion, the fundamental policy it sets forth — the establishment of a 
stable government as a prerequisite to independence — is eminently 
a national policy. It was the condition imposed by American 
Presidents upon the struggling peoples of South America. It was 
the policy of Presidents Grant and McKinley. It was President 
Grant who as early as 1875 expressed the idea that as soon as the 
Cuban people had set up a stable government their independence 
would be recognized. This policy was supported by President 
McKinley. When he urged Congress to declare war on Spain to 
liberate Cuba he definitely stated that as soon as the Cuban people 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 17 

had established in the island ''a stable government, capable of main- 
taining order and observing its international obligations, insuring 
peace and tranquilHty and the security of the citizens as well as our 
own/' Cuban independence would be recognized. The Cuban 
people were told by the Secretary of War, Mr. Root, through the 
military governor, Gen. Leonard Wood, to establish '^ a stable, 
orderly, and free government"; and as soon as this was done, as soon 
as the Cuban people had elected its officers and established a govern- 
ment capable of maintaining order and fulfilling international obli- 
gations, then it was declared that there was a stable government in 
Cuba and American sovereignty was withdrawn. 

The Democrats simply adopted the Republican policy for the 
recognition of Cuban independence and applied it to the Philippines. 
The phrase ^^ stable government" was first used in the Democratic 
platform in 1900 drafted by Mr. Bryan. That platform read, in part, 
as follows: 

We favor an immediate declaration of the Nation's purpose to give the Filipinos, 
first, a stable government; second, independence; and, third, protection from outside 
interference. 

Mr. Bryan confessed that he just borrowed that policjr from the 
Republican record in Cuba, and in accepting the nomination for the 
Presidency he declared that if elected he would recommend to Con- 
gress the establishment of a stable form of government in the islands, 
just as we are now establishing a stable form of government in Cuba," 
and the granting of independence ''to the Filipinos, as we have 
promised to give independence to the Cubans." That policy has 
been carried in practically every Democratic platform since 1900 until 
it was, with the help of the Republicans themselves, as we have seen, 
inserted in the Jones law in 1916. 
^ The Filipino people, on the other hand, remain firm in their de- 
cisive attitude on the Philippine question. All political parties are 
committed to the immediate, complete, and absolute independence 
of the Philippines. The declaration of purposes has been ratified by 
every subsequent legislature, and hence it continues to be the great 
independence charter of the people. It is the guide of the present 
Philippine Parliamentary Mission. 

THE GOVERNMENTAL STEPS TAKEN. 

In obedience to the administrative policy extending governmental 
powers to the people, liberal steps were taken from time to time. 
At first municipal governments were established in the islands; then 
came provincial governments. The Filipinos were also given initial 
participation in the central government with the appointment of 
Filipino members in the commission and in the supreme court. In 
1907 an elective assembly was convened to participate in lawmaking. 

With the coming of the Democratic Party into power, this policy 
of extending self-government was more rapidly pursued. In October, 
1913, President Wilson appointed a majority of Filipinos on the 
commission. With the control of the Filipinos in the two branches 
of the legislature, the upper house having both legislative and ex- 
ecutive duties, a substantial amount of autonomy may be said to 
have been established in the Philippine Islands. 

H. Doc. 511, 67-4 2 



18 FILIPINO APPEAL POR FREEDOM. 

After three years of experiment with a FiHpino-controlled legisla- 
ture, another more decisive step was taken in the direction of self- 
government. This was the enactment of the Jones law, often called 
''the Philippine autonomy act," in 1916. The Jones law is the cul- 
mination of the different steps taken by the American Government 
from the time of President McKinley, when he enunciated the policy 
of teaching the Filipinos the science of self-government. It gave the 
Filipinos an elective senate, thus completing their control of legisla- 
tion, subject to the Governor General's veto power. It also author- 
ized the Philippine Legislature to reorganize all the executive de- 
partments, with the result that to-day all the political offices, with 
the exception of the Governor General and the Vice Governor, are 
in the hands of the Filipinos. But the Jones law, as we have seen, 
did not only extend in a very large measure the autonomy of the 
Filipinos but also contains in its preamble the solemn promise of 
independence. 

The following statement of conditions chiefly relates to the period 
covering the years 1914 to 1921, inclusive, in which the direction of 
governmental affairs was chiefly left to the Filipinos: 

III. Governmental Eeforms. 

(A) THE abolishment OF THE COMMISSION. 

When the American Government decided for the first time to try 
the experiment of colonial government in the Philippine Islands, they 
had no light to guide them save the experience of those European 
nations which had colonies in far eastern Asia. Ignorant of the 
Philippine conditions, the American statesmen at first thought that 
the problem of governing the islands was similar to the task of the 
European powers in governing their neighbors — Java, the Malay 
States, and India. Their first idea was, therefore, to study the 
colonial systems of these countries. One of the first public documents 
printed by the American Congress in 1899, accompanying the treaty 
of Paris, was devoted to the study of the colonial systems of the 
Orient for their ap>plication in the Philippines. But upon a closer 
observation of Philippine conditions they found that the principles of 
European colonization would not work in the islands not only because 
American aims were more altruistic but because political conditions 
were entirely different. Koughly, colonial government in our neigh- 
boring countries is based on the existence of native rulers, rajahs or 
princes, whose authority has been for centuries recognized by the 
natives themselves. Apparently and ceremoniously the native 
princes still rule, but in reality it is their respective European 
'' advisers " or '' resident generals " who are the actual rulers. Instead 
of establishing a new form of government, abolishing the rajahs and 
native rulers, the Dutch and the English simply improved the native 
institutions, using these same rulers as instrumentalities through 
which to impose their own will. 

Now these conditions do not exist, and have not existed in the 
Philippines for more than 200 years. The greatest political service 
of Spain to the Philippines was the abolishment of this native system 
of government and the extinction of royal or princely families. The 
establishment of Christianity in the islands sowed the first seeds of 
equality and democracy, and the centuries of Spanish domination 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 19 

completely effaced from the Christian population all blood and 
family distinction. 

Upon the commg of the Americans the Philippines had at least a 
system of local government by suffrage, however defective and 
limited in practice it was. The work of propaganda for reforms in 
Spain had brought to the front national leaders, recognized by all the 
Christian Filipinos not for their princel}^ blood, for they had none, , 
but for their unquestioned ability. The leadership and martyrdom V 
of oiu- national hero, Jose Rizal, was a proof that the Filipinos 
could look at some one man as a national guide and inspiration. 
They had long discarded the tribal conception of social organization. 
The establishment of a Philippine Republic and the subsequent war 
mth the United States made it even more apparent that the people 
could establish a national government after the occidental type. It 
was for these reasons that the American statesmen who had been 
studying the goverimaental forms of Java and the Malay States 
desisted from their original idea of applying this type of government 
in the Philippines. There was a potential democracy in the islands. 

Without belittling what America has done for the Pliilippines, 
there is no getting awa}^ from the fact that the progress toward 
democracy in the Philippines has been due mainly to the materials 
that America found there. This made America's task a great deal 
easier. That was why even the early military governors of the 
Philippines found no difficulty in continuing to a large extent the 
municipal government of the islands, giving it a larger autonomy. 
The first local elections in the Philippines took place under the 
supervision of military officers. After the extension of municipal 
autonomy came the establishment of provincial government under 
a board composed of an elective governor and two other provincial 
officials appointed by the Governor General. Following the popular 
demand, the provincial government was again changed, and com- 
plete provincial autonomy was given under a provincial board totally 
elected by the people. The Congress of the United States, in passing 
the organic act of 1902, decided to call a national assembly in 1907 
to participate in the national la^anaking. Being the only repre- 
sentative governmental organ, this assembly became the exponent 
of the ideals and aspirations of the Filipino people. It typified 
all the ideals of the people, and every step toward a more liberal 
form of government was advocated and fought for by that body. 
It insisted that, being the popular body, it should initiate all appro- 
priation bills. It also fought for the control of the Resident Com- 
missioners in the United States. The law provided that the two 
representatives in Washington should be elected by the two houses, 
but inasmuch as the intention was to send representatives of the 
Filipino people and not of the administration and because the 
upper house was controlled by Americans the assembly argued that 
it should have the final say as to the choice of these men. There 
were continuous conflicts on other governmental matters between 
the lower houses and the appointive commission. Deadlocks were 
constant on the appropriation bills, the representatives of the people 
being solidly opposed to the financial policies of the American- 
controlled upper house. The provision in the law to the effect that 
in case of such deadlocks the total sum of the previous appropria- 
tion law would, upon the advice of the Governor General, be con- 



20 FILIPrN'O APPEAL FOB FBEEDOM. 

sidered appropriated for the ensuing year left the popular chamber 
with very little financial power. Add to this the fact that the 
upper house, or the Philippine Commission, had exclusive jurisdic- 
tion over the non-Christian parts of the archipelago, almost one- 
thu'd of the total area of the islands, and we may know just how 
much power the assembly had. The government then established, 
the mixture of a representative institution and an irresponsible 
executive and administration, was hence very unsatisfactory. That 
type of government has failed wherever it has been established. It 
failed in the early English colonies, where, as in the Philippines, the 
lower house became the stronghold of the people and the 2:overnor 
and his coimcil the representatives of the Crown. It failed in 
Canada, where because of threatened separation from the mother 
country the system had to be completely aboHshed and a respon- 
sible government established, a govermnent wherein not only the 
lower house is subject to the people's caU but also one in which the 
chief executive merely acts as a passive and ceremonial figure, 
leaving all governmental affairs in the hands of a select body, the 
cabinet, responsible to the people or their representatives. 

The defect of the system, noticeable even after a majoritv of 
Filipinos had been given control of the upper house, was one of the 
reasons which led the Congress of the United States in 1916 to enact 
the Jones law, abolishing the commission and establishing the senate 
in its stead, and giving the Philippine Legislature power to reor- 
ganize the executive departments. 

(b) the eeorganizateon of the executive departments. 

There were several reasons why the reorganization of the executive 
departments was imperative. In the first place, the Jones law author- 
izes such reorganization, and it was necessary to ratify in the statute 
books of the Phihppines the new executive power granted to Filipinos 
to make the departmental secretaries responsible to the legislature. 
In the second place, it was urgent that there be a more logical and 
scientific regrouping of bureaus and offices. This need had long been 
felt even before the passage of the Jones law, and for that purpose the 
emergency board provided in the Philippines appropriation law of 
1915 was authorized to act as an efficiency board ''to investigate and 
analyze as minutely as possible the organization of the bureaus of the 
insular government for the purpose of determining the utihty of each 
of them, the possibihty of their improvement by ehminating all 
duplication of work * * * and in general indicating such changes 
in the direction and organization of the bureaus as will tend to sim- 
plify the system of work followed and result in economy and in- 
creased efficiency." In the third place, it was necessary to provide 
for a harmonious action and cooperation between the executive heads 
and the legislature. -.Ind, in the fomth place, it was felt that the 
new department heads should have more authority and power over 
the offices and bureaus imder them. 

These were on the whole the problems which were met by the re- 
organization act. 

The reorganization act, as finally passed (act No. 2666, as amended 
by act No. 2803 and incorporated as Chapter V in the administrative 
code) provides several means whereby the responsibility of the execu- 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOE FREEDOM. 21 

tive heads to the legislature can be effected. The secretaries of de- 
partments, excepting the secretary of public instruction, are ap- 
pointed at the beginning of each legislature and with the consent of 
the Philippine Senate instead of for good behavior as before. This, 
by inference, means that the executive heads are to be appointed 
after each triennial election, and that they are to be chosen in obedi- 
ence to the popular will as expressed in such election. Members of 
the legislature can become at the same time cabinet heads. It is true, 
however, that because of the provision of the Jones law prohibiting 
members of the legislature from occupying positions created by them, 
no cabinet post was open to a member of the legislature except the 
secretaryship of the interior, and this was later filled by a senator; 
but in the subsequent elections all the cabinet posts, if deemed neces- 
sary,, could be filled by legislative members. Secretaries of depart- 
ments may be called by either of the two houses of the legislature for 
the purpose of reporting on matters pertaining to their departments. 
The importance of this should not be overlooked. As expressed by 
Senator Palma, this provision ^'may not look like very much on 
paper, but in reality it signifies a great deal. The department heads 
will not only have to give the information required of them, but being 
often subjected to minute interrogation they will have to explain and 
defend their official acts. If the houses can demand of them that 
they give an account of their official acts, they are responsible to the 
houses, though ultimately responsible to the Governor General." 

Acts 222 and 1407 of the Philippine Commission, which were 
responsible for the organization of the executive departments up to 
1916, left a great deal to be desired in the way of a logical and scien- 
tific arrangement of bureaus. The departments, as created by the 
first act, were denominated the department of the interior, depart- 
ment of commerce and police, department of finance and justice, and 
department of public instruction. 

Senator Palma said : 

The mere mention of the names given to these departments shows that organization 
to be theoretically defective. No country in the ci\dlized world has organized a de- 
partment of commerce and police, because commerce and police involve completely 
contrary and antagonistic ideas. The commerce is essentially pacific, while the police 
is essentially warlike. Nor is it good logic to join finance and justice, because, as 
the chaii'man of the select committee which has had this bill under examination said 
very well yesterday, finance and justice do not imply homogeneous ideas nor do they 
include identical fimctions: on the contrary, our experience leads us to af&rm that 
the jurist does not always have a thorough knowledge of finance, but that in the ma- 
jority of cases lawyers are the poorest financiers of the world, at least so far as the 
management of theii' own interests is concerned. 

Act No. 1407 reorganized the departments and bureaus and offices of the govern- 
ment, abolishing certain bureaus and offices and creating others in their stead. 

This organization was not better than the pre^^.ous one, because under it bureaus 
whose actiiT-ties were very dissimilar were kept in the same department. In the 
department of the interior the bureau of health remained side by side with that of 
lands, and the bureau of agiiculture with that of quarantine service. In the depart- 
ment of commerce and police the constabulary continued side by side with the bureau 
of public works, and the bureau of posts together with that of port works. The de- 
partment of finance and justice still performed its legal functions at the same time 
as the work of collecting customs dues and internal-revenue taxes. The department 
of public instruction continued to solve educational problems and have charge at 
the same time of the bureaus of supply and printing, a rare combination, indeed. 

In the reorganization of the departments the plan of the efficiency 
board was chiefly followed. Instead of the old four departments, 
there were to be six departments, to correspond to ''the six principal 



22 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

purposes which a fairly well-organized government has to accom- 
plish/' to wit: 

(1) The political direction of the various local administrative units, such as depart- 
ments, pro"\dncial and municipal governments, and special governments (the depart- 
ment of the interior); 

(2) The guardianship of the State over the mental development and physical welfare 
of the citizens (the department of public instruction); 

(3) The collection of the public revenues and administration of the finances and 
business of the government (the department of finance) ; 

(4) The enforcement of the law and maintenance of order and safeguarding of the 
citizens and their rights (the department of justice); 

(5) The guardianship in connection with the preservation of the natural resources 
and the development of its som'ces of wealth (the department of agriculture and 
natural resoiu'ces); and 

(6) The carrying out of such work and services as can not be performed by private 
citizens, conducive to the common welfare and public prosperity (the department of 
commerce and communications). 

We have stated that the fourth reason for the reorganization was 
to give greater control and power to the department heads. Hereto- 
fore each bureau was almost a department by itself. It used to send 
its estimates directly to the legislature, through the executive secre- 
tary, and the department head had almost nothing to do with it. It 
had great power of making regulations. The control of the depart- 
ment head was very slight. The reorganization act, therefore, as 
amended by act No. 2803 (sec. 79-c of the Administrative Code), 
provides that the department head shall have direct control, direc- 
tion, and supervision over all bureaus and offices under his jurisdic- 
tion, and may, any provision of existing law to the contrary not- 
withstanding, repeal or modify the decisions of the chiefs of said 
bureaus or offices when advisable in the public interest. 

Even in the matters of appointment and removal and the enact- 
ment of regulations the department head has been given control. He 
has the power '^to promulgate all rules, regulations, orders, circulars, 
memorandums, and other instructions^' for the ^^ proper working and 
harmonious and efficient administration of each and all of the offices 
and dependencies of his department." Chiefs of bureaus can pro- 
mulgate circulars of information or instructions only upon authoriza- 
tion by the department head. The department head also, upon the 
recommendation of the chief of the bureau or office, has the power to 
appoint all subordinate officers and employees whose appointment is 
not expressly vested by law in the Governor General. He may 
remove or punish them, except as especially provided otherwise in 
accordance with the civil service law. The department head also 
may change the distribution of the employees or subordinates among 
the several bureaus and offices. 

Under the former executive organization the Governor General 
was a department secretary himself and had under his control the 
executive bureau, besides the bureau of audits and the bureau of 
civil service. Under the new law the executive bureau was trans- 
ferred to the department of the interior, with the provision that the 
foreign correspondence and the giving of passports would be retained 
in the Governor General's office. 

All executive functions of the PhiUppine government, as provided 
by the Jones law, are subject to the supervision and control of the 
Governor General, and it was through liberal interpretation on the 
part of Governor Harrison that a great deal of the control and super- 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FKEEDOM. 23 

vision of the department was delegated to the other department 
heads. Section 74 of the Administrative Code as amended states, 
after a repetition of the Governor's ultimate and supreme executive 
power, that " the departments are established for the proper distribu- 
tion of the work of the executive, for the performance of the functions 
expressly assigned to them by law, and in order that each branch of 
the administration may have a chief responsible for its direction and 
policy. Each department secretary shall assume the burden and 
responsibility of all activities of the government under his control and 
supervision." 

There is in each department an undersecretary to aid the secretary 
of the department in the performance of his duties. The under- 
secretary holds his office during good behavior, for unlike the secre- 
taryship there is no provision for a periodic renewal. He performs 
the duties of the secretary in the latter's absence. Upon the inability 
of both the secretary and the undersecretary to act, the Governor 
General may temporarily designate a secretary or undersecretary 
of another department to perform the duties. 

Besides the six regular departments of the government for adminis- 
trative purposes, there are four other officials who have depart- 
mental authority over the ofiices under them. They are the Governor 
General, who has departmental authority over the bureau of audits, 
the bureau of civil service, and over all other offices and branches of 
the service not assigned by law to any department; the president of 
the senate and speaker of the house of representatives, who are 
department heads for the ofiicers and employees of the senate and 
house, respectively; and the chief justice of the supreme court, who 
is the department head of employees in the supreme court. 

The following are the bureaus and offices under their corresponding 
departments : 

Office of the Governor General: Bureau of audits, bureau of civil 
service, Philippine National Guard. 

Department of the interior: Bureau of non-Christian tribes, 
Philippine General Hospital, board of pharmaceutical examiners and 
inspectors, boards of medical, dental, and optical examiners, board of 
examiners for nurses, executive bureau, Philippine Constabulary, 
commissioner of public welfare, cities of Manila and Baguio. 

Department of public instruction: Bureau of education, Philip- 
pine health service, bureau of quarantine service. 

Department of finance: Bureau of customs, bureau of internal 
revenue, bureau of the treasury, mint of the Philippine Islands, 
bureau of printing. 

Department of justice: Bureau of justice, courts of first instance 
and inferior courts, general land registration office, public utility 
commission, Philippine Library and Museum, bureau of prisons. 

Department of agriculture and natural resources: Bureau of agri- 
culture, agricultural colonies, bureau of forestry, bureau of lands, 
bureau of science, weather bureau. 

Department of commerce and communications: Bureau of public 
works, bureau of posts, bureau of supply, bureau of commerce and 
mdustry, bureau of labor, bureau of coast and geodetic surve}^. 

The heads of the six departments constitute the cabinet. For- 
merly, by an executive order of the Governor General it acted as his 
advisory board. It met once a week for the discussion of depart- 



24 FILIPINO APPEAL. FOR FREEDOM. 

mental measures. With the creation, however, of the comicil of 
state the cabinet as a miit ceased to act as an advisory body of the 
Governor General. 

(C) THE COUNCIL OF STATE. 

The intent and spirit of the Jones law is to grant the Filipino 
people the largest amount of self-government compatible with 
American sovereignty and to create a government in which the 
'^ counsel and experience" of the people will play the greater part. 
Now, what are the means or instrumentalities by means of which the 
Fihpinos as a people can exercise that power of self-government and 
can give their ^^ counsel" in the government of their country? 

Heretofore, when there was only one governmental organ respon- 
sible to the Filipinos, the Philippine Assembly, everybody looked to 
this organization as the faithful exponent of the ideals and aspirations 
of the Fihpino people. It represented the national ^'counsel" of the 
people. Its speaker was considered the most prominent Filipino 
official, for he exhibited the double representation of his district and 
of the entire assembly. The Filipino people looked to the speaker 
for the success or failure of any part they were taking in the govern- 
ment. 

Under the Jones law two other factors or instrumentalities of 
government were given to the Filipinos : To the lower elective house 
was added an elective senate, and the Phihppine Legislature was 
given the power to reorganize the executive departments, with the 
exception of the department of public instruction. This latter pro- 
vision has been interpreted as meaning that henceforward all the 
heads of departments should be Filipinos with the exception of the 
secretary of pubhc instruction. If the new autonomy meant any- 
thing, it was that these three organs of government — the lower house, 
the upper house, and the Filipino executive heads — should be respon- 
sible mainly to the Filipino people instead of to the President of the 
United States. 

The fundamental defect of the Jones law is the absence of respon- 
sible and undivided leadership in these three organs of government 
and the lack of one single body which can properly represent and 
effectively carry out the '^counsel" of the nation. Five years ago, 
upon the passage of the Jones law, attention was directed to that 
urgent need. The Filipino elements in the government composed of 
the secretaries of departments and the houses of the legislature must 
have a coordinate understanding, a common leadership. 

There, was first an idea to place party leadership outside the legis- 
lative chambers. It was also felt that the important executive posi- 
tions should now be filled by responsible leaders. A movement was 
therefore started to make the secretaryship of the interior the posi- 
tion of leadership of all the three organs of government granted to 
the Filipinos. In a caucus of the majority members of both houses, 
held on December 22, 1916, a resolution was passed urging Speaker 
Osmena to leave the speakership and accept the secretaryship of 
the interior. 

Speaker Osmena, after mature deliberation, declined the secretary- 
ship of the interior in a long memorandum submitted to the caucus 
of the majority members of the two houses on January 3, 1917. He 
said that he was ''entirely in accord with the principle of a united 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 25 

and responsible leadership, " but that under the then existing circum- 
stances he feared that the leadership should not be in the executive 
department. 

The problem of an open and responsible leadership thus remained 
unsolved. To solve it and to have a definite body which could advise 
him on matters of importance, with the acquiescence and support of 
Filipino elements in the government, the Governor General decided to 
create a council of state. He first announced his desire in his mes- 
sage of October 16, 1918, when he said that he was ''now ready to 
establish a council of state to include the authorized spokesmen of the 
two houses of the legislature in addition to the members of the cabi- 
net to advise the Governor General on matters of public importance." 
An executive order was subsequently issued to that effect, and the 
members of the cabinet and the presiding officers of both houses were 
appointed members of the council of state ''to aid and advise the 
Governor General on public matters." 

In a sense, however, the council of state was not a new creation. 
Ever since the establishment of civil government here there has 
always been some sort of a coimcil of state in the Philippines. It is 
not meant that there have been bodies in the past with the name of 
"council of state," but that the principle underlying the present 
council of state has always been foUowed by American Governors 
General. 

Our governors have always endeavored, in their government of the 
Philippines, to secure the advice of the most representative Filipinos 
that they could get. That was the reason back of Governor Taft's 
preliminary steps when he called into power three prominent Filipinos, 
Doctor Tavera, Mr. Legarda, and Mr. Luzuriaga, the leaders of the 
only political party in existence — the Federal Party — and had them 
appointed to the commission. Governor Taft began the practice of 
consulting the Filipinos whom he thought represented the best 
opinion of the people of the Philippine Islands. This practice was 
inspired by President McKinley, who always told the American 
people that American sovereignity was acceptable to and in accord- 
ance with the wishes and aspirations of the great masses of the Filipino 
people. What the leaders of the Federal Party were at that time to 
the civil governor the present leaders of the Nacionalista Party, as 
represented in the council of state, are to the Governor General, with 
only two incidental differences. The leaders of the Federal Party 
were not elected by the people, directly or indirectly, and their 
power was also smaller. Because these Federal leaders were not 
elected by the people it was not certain that their advice and counsel 
was approved by the people. As it turned out, in the first national 
election of 1907 the Filipino people repudiated them and elected a 
majority of the opposing party to power; but save for these incidental 
differences the principle back of the practice of securing the counsel of 
prominent Filipinos in the government of the Philippines was one 
and the same. It is the same principle underlying the present council 
of state. 

The usefulness of the council of state as a coordinating and advisory 
body is recognized by the present Governor General (Gen. Leonard 
Wood), who immediately upon his inauguration publicly stated that 
there would be no change in the council of state, and has since been 
meeting the council as frequently and regularly as his predecessor. 



26 filipino appeal for freedom. 

(d) our budget system. 

Nearly all struggles for constitutional government have centered on 
the control of the public purse. It was the greatest issue in the strug- 
gle between King John and the English barons. As a result of the 
struggle the Magna Charta provided that '^no scutage (tenant's tax) 
or aid (contribution) shall be imposed except by the common council 
of the nation." In the American Revolution the battle cry was that 
taxation without representation is tyranny. That voice was re- 
echoed in France when in 1789 the people's control over the revenue 
was declared to be one of the '^prerogative laws of the State." 

The Philippine bill of 1902 provided that all appropriations must be 
made by law. (Sec. 5, par. 15.) This apparently gave the Philippine 
Assembly, established in 1907, coequal power with the Philippine Com- 
mission on money matters. But such was not the fact. The other 
provision, that in case of a deadlock on an appropriation bill the entire 
sum appropriated the year before shall be considered as appropriated 
for the ensuing year (sec. 7, par. 3), gave the Governor General al- 
most dictatorial power in fiscal matters. He could create offices in 
defiance of the opposition of the representatives of the people and 
could dispose in whatever way he wished of all the money of the gov- 
ernment so long as the entire sum did not exceed the sum previously 
appropriated. Thus, while other popular legislative bodies had the 
distinction of commanding and controlling all money bills, serving 
thereby as a great check upon the executive, the Philippine Assembly 
was deprived of tliis function and was, as a result, a considerably 
weaker body than most legislative assemblies. 

Under the circumstances the budget system could not have been 
established. There was no executive responsible, or who could be 
made responsible, to the Philippine branch of the legislature and to 
whom the preparation of the budget could be intrusted. Nay, it 
was even more advantageous for the Filipino people to demand one 
principle of the congressional system — the initiation of all money 
bills in the lower house. This demand, after a long struggle with 
the commission, was gained, although with no great advantage, for 
there being constant deadlocks between the two houses on appropria- 
tion bills, the fiscal power remained practically in the hands of the 
Governor General. 

That there was a lack of a systematized plan in our previous finan- 
cial system can be easily seen in the number and nature of appropria- 
tion bills annually passed by the Philippine Commission and the 
Philippine Legislature. From April 3, 1915, to March 16, 1916, for 
instance, 37 acts were passed carrying a total appropriation of over 
38,000,000 pesos. These acts showed a lack of systematized group- 
ings of objects for the easy comprehension of the public or the legis- 
lature. 

The procedure followed in the submission and preparation of 
estimates was similar to the American Federal practice. Thirty 
days before the opening of the regular session each bureau chief sent 
to the executive secretary a statement of the receipts and expendi- 
tures of his bureau or office during the year and an estimate of the 
receipts and necessary expenditures thereof for the ensuing fiscal 
year. Like the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, the 
executive secretary simply compiled these estimates and sent them 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 27 

to the legislature. He had no power of revision or coordination. 
There was no executive responsible for the fiscal plan of the govern- 
ment. Bills appropriating money were considered on their indi- 
vidual merits and not on a well-defined fiscal plan for the entire 
country. 

Such, in brief, was the system of government finance in vogue 
prior to the enactment of the Jones law. 

The coming of the Jones law did not immediately solve the problem. 
The law did not provide for a budgetary system, and there were 
some who doubted whether it could be made possible under its 
provisions. 

Section 21 of the Jones law states that " the Governor General shall 
submit to the Philippine Legislature within 10 days of the opening 
of each regular session a budget of receipts and expenditures, which 
shall be the basis of the annual appropriation bill. This provision 
and the fact that the Governor General still retained, according to law, 
supreme executive power created in the minds of some the doubt as 
to whether the executive could be intrusted with the framing of the 
budget. The establishment, however, of a cabinet largely respon- 
sible to the legislature overcame the objection. 

But there was another difficulty. Under section 21 of the Jones 
law, it is the Governor General who is to submit a ''budget of re- 
ceipts and expenditures." Should he and not the cabinet draft the 
budget? In the former case the legislature might not be willing to 
give up its prerogative of preparing financial measures. Again the 
Governor General came to the rescue and, following the generous 
spirit of the Jones law, delegated the formulation of the budget first 
to the cabinet and later to the council of state. The old practice of 
having bureau chiefs prepare and submit estimates was changed. 
Their estimates must now go to the department secretary and then 
to the department of finance for revision. The Governor General in 
a message sends the budget as prepared by the council of state to the 
legislature for approval, amendment, or rejection. 

Before the preparation of the budget, a general line of policy is 
first agreed upon by the council of state. Once the general policy is 
decided, a circular is sent in July to all offices and bureaus request- 
ing them to send in their estimates, which should include the prob- 
able receipts and the proposed expenditures for the coming jesLT. 
These estimates are made under the supervision and control of the 
department heads, who have the power to cut down or add items. 
These different estimates are then submitted by the department 
heads to the secretary of finance, not later than August 20 of every 
year. The main work of the department of finance is to coordinate 
the different departmental estimates in accordance with the general 
plan agreed upon at the council meeting. It often happens that a 
certain item submitted by a departmental head is already duplicated 
by another item from a different department. Any conflict between 
a departmental head and the secretary of finance is submitted to the 
council of state for decision. The final budget is approved at the 
meeting of the council. 

Once the budget is definitely approved by the council of state the 
Governor General submits it with a message to the legislature. The 
message is read by the secretary of finance in a joint session of the 
legrislature. 



28 FILIPrKTO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

The lower house, by agreement with the upper, is the first one to 
take up the budget. It sets a date for the appearance of the secretary 
of finance to explain the details of the budget and to answer all ques- 
tions propounded by the members. This appearance usually lasts a 
number of days, and full opportunity is given the members, especially 
those of the minority party, to discuss the several items of the bill. 
To explain further the details of the budget, the individual depart- 
mental secretaries may be called, although this is not often done, the 
secretary of finance generally assuming responsibility for the whole 
budget. It is the accepted rule in the discussion of the budget that the 
legislature may diminish the estimates but may not increase them. 

Once the budget is approved in principle, it is sent to the committee 
on appropriations, with instructions to draft the appropriation bill 
in accordance with the budget. This committee again examines the 
different items of the budget and then frames and submits its appro- 
priation bill. The committee generally follows the instructions of the 
House and suggests in its bill onh^ those changes that are absolutely 
necessary. When the appropriation bill is approved by the house it is 
sent to the senate where the secretary of finance again appears to 
explain the different items contained therein. 

The financial plan of the council of state does not cover all the 
proposed financial activities of the government. It usually leaves a 
surplus for the legislature to appropriate the way it pleases. This 
takes the form of new ventures and activities. The totality of the 
English budgetary principle is not, therefore, as yet followed, whereby 
all requests for money must come from the executive. But a long and 
decisive step has already been taken toward financial reform. 

The system also requires that all money received from whatever 
source must be paid into the treasury by the collecting officer, and 
no disbursement of public funds can be made without specific au- 
thorit}^ of the legislature. In carrying out this principle and for the 
purpose of recording accurately the actual cost of each unit of the 
govermnent, a departure has been made from the established account- 
ing methods. Intergovernmental payments for special services 
rendered must be entered in the accoimts as receipts on the part of 
the receiving bureau and as expenses on the part of the bureau making 
the disbursements. 

To make the budget system sufficiently elastic to meet changing 
conditions, an emergency board, of which the secretary of finance is 
the chairman, two members of the legislature, the insular auditor, 
and the attorney general as members, was created. In the general 
appropriation act this board is given a substantial' amount \vith 
which to suppl}' the additional funds that the various units of the 
government may need for purposes authorized by the appropriation. 
As an additional safeguard against possible abuse of power, the actions 
of the emergency board do not become operative until the approval 
of the Governor General, and of the presidents of both houses has 
been secured. 

IV. Public Order. 

It was one of the conditions for the establishment of the Philippine 
Assembly in 1907 that there be complete peace and that the Governor 
General certify that fact to the President of the United States. Gov- 
ernor General Smith did certify the fact that there was complete peace 



riLrlPINO APPEAL. FOR FREEDOM. 



29 



that year, and thus facihtated the estabhshment of the Phihppine 
Assembly. From that year peace has continued up to the present. 
It suffered no alteration either during the economic crisis or amidst 
the hardships of the World War. Every official report from 1907 to 
the present has testified to the peace and order that obtains and has 
always obtained in the Philippines. Thus the first requisite of a 
stable government has been accompHshed. 

Two institutions are charged with the keeping of public order and 
they are the municipal ponce and the insular pohce, or the con- 
stabulary. The municipal poUce are supported by municipal funds, 
but is subject to the supervision of the rhilippine Constabulary in so 
far as its organization and discipline are concerned. The spirit of 
peace and order is so well cemented in the Phihppines that there are 
municipalities which have no more than 3, 5, or 7 policemen each. 

The Philippine Constabulary is the insular police which helps the 
municipal police in cases of necessity and when the municipal authori- 
ties so require. There are about 6,000 constabulary soldiers. The 
constabulary also helps the bureaus of the government in the fur- 
therance of their work, such as in enforcing quarantine measures, 
controlling diseases, keeping prisoners, etc. 

As to the efficiency and success of the constabulary, the report of 
the Wood-Forbes Mission itself might be quoted. It admits that it is 
^^ dependable and thoroughly efficient.^' It should, moreover, be 
noted that during the first years of its establishment the constabulary 
was the subject of criticism on the part of the public. It has to-day 
secured the support not only of the ofiacials of the government, but 
also of the people. As in other branches of the government, Fili- 
pinization has been established and there is to-day fewer and fewer 
American officers as the following figures will show : 





Num- 
ber of 

Ameri- 
can 

officers. 


Nimi- 
ber of 
FiU- 
pino 
officers. 


Total 
num- 
ber of 
officers. 


Num- 
ber of I 
enlisted : 
men. 




Nmn- 
ber of 

Ameri- 
can 

officers. 




Num- 
ber of 
enlisted 
men. 


1901 


180 
186 
334 
315 
304 
278 
260 
236 
258 
276 
247 


3 

7 
11 
14 
15 
20 
57 
83 
59 
50 
75 


183 
193 
345 
329 
319 
298 
317 
319 
317 
326 
322 


5,000 

.5; 317 ! 

6,000 

6,729 

6.852 

4:773 

4,778 

4,723 

4,267 

4,067 

4.159 


1912 


268 


54 ! 322 

58 I 326 

90 329 

131 1 341 

123 1 317 

250 j 3.56 

304 347 

323 348 

358 375 

362 ! 378 

i 

1 


4,283 
4 621 


1902 


1913 


■^fiS 


1903 


1914 1 239 

1915 ! 210 

1916 1 194 

1917 ; 106 

1918 1 43 

1919 1 25 

1920 1 17 

1921 i 14 


4' 793 


1904 


5 002 


1905. . . 


5 105 


1903 


5^505 
5 348 


1907 


190S 


5,597 
5,817 
5 968 


1909....: 


1910 


1911 

















It will be noted that the oflSlcial personnel continued on the increase 
up to and including 1903 at which time it was reduced by 6. The 
greatest number of American officers, 334, was obtained in 1903. 
Since that year the Filipino oflS.cers have been gradually on the 
increase and the American officers on the decrease. At the close of 
the calendar year 1921, the American officers numbered 14 and the 
Filipino officers nimabered 362, 



30 



filipi:n^o appeal fob freedom. 



V. The Civil Service. 

From the beginning of American occupation it has been the policy 
to give all positions m the government to Filipinos whenever there 
are competent persons to fill them. This policy was laid down by 
President McKinley when he instructed the second Philippine 
Commission — 

That in all cases the municipal officers, who administer the local affairs of the 
people, are to be selected by the people, and that wherever officers of more extended 
jurisdiction are to be selected in any way, natives of the islands are to be preferred, 
and if they can be found competent and willing to perform the duties, they are to 
receive the offices in preference to any others. 

This instruction of President McKinley has been placed on the 
statute books of the Philippines and is still the law to-day. The 
appointing officers are enjoined to prefer, first, citizens of the Philip- 
pines, and, second, honorably discharged soldiers, sailors, and marines 
of the United States. 

While that was the law and has been the law since American 
occupation, there were times when the Filipino people thought that 
it was not being carried out as the strict letter and spirit demanded. 
From 1907 and 1908 up to 1913, there was very little Filipinization 
in the Philippine civil service. In 1913 there were actually more 
Americans in the civil service than in 1907 and 1908. Many of 
these Americans filled mere clerical positions which could very well 
have been held by qualified Filipinos. From 1913, however, Fili- 
pinization grew with the arrival of Governor General Francis Burton 
Harrison. It has continued growing up to the present. The propor- 
tion of Filipinos to Americans during the period 1914-1921 is shown 
in the following list : 





Number of— 


Percentage. 


Year. 


Ameri- 
cans. 


Filipinos. 


Total. 


Ameri- 
cans. 


Filipinos. 


1914 


2,148 

1,935 

1,730 

1,310 

948 

760 

582 

614 


7,2«3 
7,881 
8,725 
9,859 
10, 866 
12, 047 


9,451 
9,816 
10,455 
11,169 
11,814 
12.897 


23 
20 

17 
12 
8 
6 
4 
4 


77 


1915 . . . 


80 


1916 


83 


1917 


88 


1918... 


92 


1919 


94 


1920... . 


12,651 1 13,143 
13,240 1 13.854 


96 


1921 


96 






' 





President McKinle3^'s policy has been followed to the letter with no 
detriment to public service, in fact with the same if not greater effi- 
ciency which kept pace with the growth of Government activities 
and the general progress of the country. The discussion of the 
various government bureaus which follows will amply prove this 
statement. 

VI. Administration of Justice. 

From 1914 to 1921 justice was impartially administered in the 
Philippines. The judiciary was free from political, family, or other 
improper influences. Delay in the final decision of cases was no 
worse than in the United States. The selection of judges and prose- 
cuting attorneys was at least as carefully done as in the preceding 
years. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



31 



It is admitted on all hands that the Supreme Court of the Philip- 
pine Islands, ( whose members are appointed by the President of the 
United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, 
a majority of them being Americans, is above all influence, enjoys 
the confidence of the people, and is composed of men learned in the 
law and of exceptional talents. The Wood-Forbes mission says of 
the supreme court : 

The supreme court has the respect and confidence of the Philippine people. 

This being so, we believe that the best way to ascertain whether or 
not the courts of first instance during the new regime have rightly and 
impartially administered justice is to compare the percentage of 
appealed decisions affirmed and reversed by the supreme court in 
the two periods — before and after 1914. If the decision of a court 
of first instance is affirmed by the highest court in the islands, after 
a review of the case, such affirmance utterly destroys all claims of 
mistake, ignorance, partiality, political or family influence, or other 
improper motive. The data in the following table, compiled from 
records in the office of the clerk of the supreme court, are full of 
interest : 

Decisions appealed from.. 





Total. 


Affirmed. 


Reversed. 


Modified. 


Period. 


Num- 
ber. 


Per 

cent. 


Num- 
ber. 


Per 

cent. 


Num- 
ber. 


Per 

cent. 


Aug. 31, 19n-Sept. 1, 1913 

Mar. 3, 1919-Mar. 4, 1921 


1,454 
1,782 


910 
1,194 


62.5 
67.0 


365 
372 


25.1 
20.8 


179 
216 


12.2 
12.1 



To understand the above figures it should be noted : (1) That Sep- 
tember 1, 1913, and March 4, 1921, are the dates when the resignation 
of Governors General W. Cameron Forbes and Francis Burton Har- 
rison took effect, respectively; (2) that for the purpose of comparison 
only the supreme court decisions during the last two years of each 
administration can be given, because a period of one to four years 
elapses between the decision of the courts of first instance and that of 
the supreme court. 

The figures in the above table show that there was a larger per- 
centage of decisions affirmed and a smaller percentage of decisions 
reversed by the supreme court during the time when the Filipino 
people enjoyed substantial autonomy than before that period. This 
fact indicates that the administration of justice has been considerably 
improved with the Filipinos in greater control. 

With regard to the alleged delay in the administration of justice, 
the number of pending cases is not so large as is believed in some 
quarters. According to the 1921 report of the Attorney General, 
there were 26,664 cases pending in the courts of fu'st instance on 
December 31, 1921. Of these pending cases, 6,108 were probate and 
2,707 land registration, which, as everyone knows, are necessarily 
cumbersome and complicated. Said report also states that in the 
supreme court there were pending decision 306 cases and 914 cases 
docketed but not submitted for decision. Therefore, in both the first 
instance and supreme courts, there were all in all only 27,884 cases. 
No figures are available as to the cases pending in the justices of the 
peace courts on December 31, 1921. However, the report of the 



32 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

secretary of justice for 1920 shows that 8,046 cases were pending in 
the justice of the peace courts on December 31, 1920. , 

The following show the number of cases disposed of by the courts of 
first instance each year from 1906 to 1921, inclusive: 

of. 

1914 13,404 

1915 15,052 

1916 14,560 

1917 14,987 

1918 13,213 

1919 12,667 

1920 16,600 

1921 16,874 



1906 7,410 

1907 6,834 

1908 7,777 

1909 10,447 

1910 9,745 

1911 12, 630 

1912 12,928 

1913 14,797 



Total 82,568 



Total.. 117,357 



The above figures show that the number of cases disposed of by the 
courts of first instance for the eight years, 1906 to 1913, inclusive, 
was as large as 82,568. The total number of cases disposed of for the 
same length of time (1914-1921, inclusive) under the new regime was 
even greater, 117,357, or an increase of 34,789, or 42 per cent. The 
average number of cases disposed of each year during the first period 
was 10,321, while in the second period (1914-1921) the average was 
14,669, or 42 per cent. This increase is the more striking when it is 
remembered that the abolition of the court of land registration took 
place during the second period and the adjudication of land titles 
under the Torrens system was transferred to the courts of first in- 
stance. 

The law's delay is a traditional problem the world over. The above 
number of pending cases does not therefore constitute an evil peculiar 
to the Philippines nor is it due to Filipino fault. Even in the United 
States the people are confronted with the same problem. Viscount 
Bryce, sp)eaking of the administration of justice in the United States, 
says in his recent work. Modern Democracy (Vol. II, p. 88) : 

* * * Nevertheless even if things are less bad than the causes at work might 
have made them, clear it is that the incompetence of judges does in many States in- 
volve immense waste to litigants through appeals and other delays, and through the 
uncertainty into which the law is broguht by decisions in inferior courts likely to be 
reversed on appeal. 

Though the administration of civil justice leaves much to be desired, that of crim- 
inal justice is far worse. There are few States, perhaps only two or three outside New 
England — New Jersey is one — where it is either prompt or efficient. All through the 
rest of the country, South and West, trials are of inordinate length, and when the ver- 
dict has been given, months or years may elapse before the sentence can be carried 
into effect. Many offenders escape whom everybody knows to be guilty, and the de- 
terrent effect of punishment is correspondingly reduced. 

In a speech at the annual banquet of the American Bar Association 
in the summer of 1921, at Cincinnati, Mr. C. A. Severance, president 
of the association, said: 

When the Chief Justice told us, as he did the other da^^, that the state of the courts 
was such that a bill proposing that we have 18 additional judges in the Federal courts 
had been prepared, and should be passed because of the necessity that exists, he told 
us nothing we did not already know. The congestion of the Federal courts has become 
such that it is almost a public scandal. (See Journal of the American Bar Association, 
November, 1921, p. 612.) 

The Hon. Henry D. Clayton, judge of Federal district court, 
Alabama, says: 

One of the contributing and patent causes of the law's delay which lies in the power 
of the legislative department to remedy is the fact that in manv States and in some of 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 33 

the Federal districtsjthere is not the sufficient judicial force to dispose of the present 
litigation and that which is constantly increasing as the country grows in population 
and develops in commerce and industry. Besides, the courts are constantly having 
to deal with much new legislation, amendatory and original; consequently there is 
fi'om this source increased litigation, invohing interpretation and application of 
statutes, resulting in the accumulation of cases. Because of all these facts and other 
similar things court dockets become congested and all cases can not be reached for 
trial until after undue delay in some of them. (See Journal of the American Bar 
Association, January, 1922, p. 45.^ 

The Hod. William H. Taft, Chief Justice of the United States, 
said, in an address at the 1921 meeting of the American Bar Associa- 
tion at Cincinnati: 

The congestion which exists in many of the districts of the United States — and it 
has been growing because of the gradual enlargement of the jurisdiction of the courts 
under the enactment by Congress of laws which are the exercise of its heretofore 
dormant powers — has been greatly added to by the adoption of the eighteenth amend- 
ment and the passage of the Volstead law. Something must be done, therefore, to 
give to the Federal courts a judicial force that can grapple these an-ears and end them. 

The Attorney General has been much impressed with the great increase in business 
in the courts, and has recommended to the President and to Congress the adoption of 
a law which, it seems to me, will much facilitate the dispatch of business in the courts 
of the United States. (See Journal of the American Bar Association, September, 
1921.1 

Mr. Edwin W. Sims, of the Chicago bar, says in an article in the 
Journal of the American Bar Association. November, 1921: 

On April 1, 1920, 135 persons pre^iously indicted for murder were awaiting trial in 
Chicago. In 1,904 cases the accused were at liberty on bond. In the majority of 
cases so much time had elapsed since indictment that Avitnesses had disappeared, 
e\idence had been lost, and successful prosecution made most difficult. * * * 

Chap was indicted for murder March 4, 1911. and released on 810,000 bonds. 

In compiling its report on continuances, the Chicago Crimes Commission ran across 
the case, and in December, 1919, eight and one-half years after the crime was committed, 
the defendant was placed on trial. (See Journal of the American Bar Association, 
?sovember, 1921, pp. 598-599. i 

The foregoing goes to show that in the United States no less than 
in the Philippines there is need of action to relieve the present con- 
gestion of cases. As for the Philippines, the legislature on February 
14, 1921. created seven new positions of auxiliary judges of the 
courts of first instance. 

In discussing the law's delay in the Philippines we should never 
overlook the fact that there are certain unavoidable causes which in 
large measure prevent the prompt administration of justice. These 
causes are not found in the United States. They are: (1) The in- 
terpretation of testimony from the vernacular to Spanish: (2) judges 
in the Philippines are judges not only of law but also of fact: (3) the 
law in the Philippines is in a formative condition; and (4) the re- 
moteness of many municipalities from the provincial capitals, together 
with the difficulty of transportation. 

As to the first factor, almost all witnesses testify in the PhiHppine 
dialects. The questions are in Spanish or English, so they are in- 
terpreted to the local dialect. The answers, which are in the local 
dialect, are then translated into Spanish for the purposes of record. 
The translation in both cases takes up at least as much time as the 
original questions and answers, and often much time is lost in the dis- 
cussion of the proper interpretation. 

With regard to the second cause of delay, there is no trial by jury 
in the Philippines. Hence, the judge decides rot only the questions 
of law involved but also the issues of fact. It is thus that the task 

H. Doc. 511. 67-4 ^3 



34 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR PREEDOM. 

of one judge and a jury in America is performed b}^ one man in the 
Philippines. 

The third factor, that the law is in a formative condition, arises 
from the blending in the Philippines of the Spanish civil law and the 
Anglo-American common law. Our laws of procedure and evidence 
are derived from American sources, while our civil law, much of our 
commercial law, and most of our penal law are Spanish. This has 
created many difficulties in the application of the law in a given case, 
because (a) the imderlying principles and the actual working of 
American procedure and evidence are new in the Philippines, and {h) 
frequently it is hard to determine how far the new legislation has 
affected the old law, for the new code of civil procedure in many 
respects touches upon substantive law, and, further, every lawyer 
knows that the questions of the right and the remedy are inseparably 
bound up together. Moreover, our constitutional law and administra- 
tive law, as well as our laws on marriage, corporations, negotiable 
instruments, insolvency, salvage, insurance, chattel mortgage, and 
many crimes are American in origin, and many Filipino judges and 
lawyers, who are generally Spanish speaking, meet with difficulties in 
studying and applying American authorities and cases. 

The fourth cause of delay is the remoteness of many municipalities 
from provincial capitals, together with the difficulty of transportation. 
This makes it extremely hard for witnesses to appear before the 
courts, and many cases have to be continued when one or more 
witnesses can not go to the provincial capital. 

The selection of judges has been at least as careful under the new 
regime as before. Most of the Filipino judges of first instance, ap- 
pointed during the Philippine Commission regime before 1913, were 
members of or had sympathies for the Federal, later Progresista 
Party. It is true also that a majority of the appointees to the first 
instance bench since 1913 belong to or had sympathies for the Na- 
cionalista Party, but this is because the great bulk of the members 
of the bar were Nacionalistas, and there was a very limited number 
of attorneys to choose from who were of the Democrata Party. 

It can not be said that the legal knowledge of the judges selected 
since 1913 is lower than that of those appointed before that year. As 
a matter of fact, before 1913 many judges of first instance were ap- 
pointed who had neither training in the local law nor practiced law 
in the Philippines, whereas the appointees since 1913 had schooling 
and practice in Philippine laws. 

As to the independence of the judiciary, it must be stated that 
formerly the Governor General had power under the law to remove any 
judge of the court of first instance at pleasure. This power was 
abolished under the new regime, so that to-day no judge of the court 
of first instance can be removed by the Governor GeneraP' unless suf- 
ficient cause shall exist, in the judgment of the supreme court," after 
such judge has been heard in his own defense. Needless to say this 
new law has placed the judges beyond the influence of the chief 
executive. 

There are no proofs that the present provincial fiscals, or prosecut- 
ing attorneys, are less efficient than those before 1913. On the con- 
trary, the greater number of criminal cases filed and disposed of from 
1914 to 1921 would seem to indicate that the service of the prosecut- 
ing attorneys has been improved. It is to be noted also that before 
1913 several persons who had not taken or had failed in the Philippine 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



35 



bar examinations were appointed prosecuting attorneys — a practice 
which was discontinued during the time of more Filipino control of the 
government. 

Inasmuch as most of the justices of the peace are not lawyers, there 
is much room for reform in the organization of the justice of the 
peace courts. However, the qualifications of Philippine justices of the 
peace compare favorably with those of other countries. The adminis- 
trative code provides in section 207 that ''no person shall be eligible 
to appointment as justice of the peace or auxiliary justice unless he 
shall be (1) at least 23 years of age; (2) a citizen of the Philippine 
Islands or of the United States; (3) of good moral character; and 
(4) admitted by the supreme court to practice law, or be a person who 
has at least finished the course of legal study in a recognized school, 
or shall have passed the civil-service examination for clerk of court, 
or an examination to be held in each Province before a board com- 
posed of the judge of the court of first instance, the provincial fiscal, 
and a practicing lawyer appointed by the judge, under rules and regu- 
lations to be prescribed by the attorney general, with the approval of 
the secretary of finance and justice." A plan is now being studied 
in the Philippines looking toward the consolidation of several towns 
into one district, to be under the jurisdiction of one justice of the 
peace, who shall be a lawyer. 

VII. Administration of Public Lands. 

In no other bureau is the growth of Government activities so mani- 
fest as in the bureau of lands. 



LAND TITLES. 

Homesteads. — During the last eight years, from 1914 to 1921, the 
number of homestead applications received, as well as the number of 
applications acted upon (canceled, approved, approved canceled, and 
patented), has considerably increased, as compared with the figures 
for the eight years previous to 1914; that is to say, from 1906 to 1913. 
The following table wiU bear out the above statement: 

Homestead applications. 



Year. 


Re- 
ceived. 

! 


1 
Can- 
celed. 


Ap- 
proved 


proved 
can- 
celed. 


Pat- 
ented. 


Total 
acted 
upon. 


Pend- 
1 ing. 

i 


Total 
num- 
ber.i 


Aver- 
age 

num- 
ber.2 


1906 


1,543 
2,643 
2,023 
1 463 
2,210 
2,995 
3,706 
4,962 


131 
172 
307 
610 
679 
718 
1,450 
1,755 


332 
889 
1,495 
858 
1,129 
1,445 
1,941 
2,014 


i t 

23 

2 

5 

60 

74 

410 


i" 

1 

27 
106 


467 
1,067 
1,825 
1,470 
1,814 
2,224 
3,492 
4,285 


! 1,404 
2,992 
3,236 
3,233 
3,640 
4,532 
4,921 
6,524 






1907 






1908 






1909 






1910 






1911 






1912 






1913 












Total 


21,445 






• 








16,644 


2 080 5 


















1914 


5,552 
7,466 
8,198 
8,922 
8,259 
7,026 
9,561 
6,672 


2,198 
2,188 
2,061 
2,206 
2,297 
2,772 
1,511 
905 


3, 164 
3,434 
3,369 
4,998 
4,315 
3, 765 
2,467 
1,510 


303 
454 
304 
449 
771 
871 
411 
479 


160 
515 
192 
322 
309 
326 
739 
835 


5,825 
6,591 
5,926 
7,975 
7,692 
7,734 
5, 128 
3,729 


7,017 
9,315 
12,387 
14,554 
16,972 
18,332 
24,326 
29,062 






1915 






1916 






1917 






1918 






1919 






1920 






1921 












Total 


62,656 












50,600 


6,325 

















1 Total number of applications acted upon for 8 years. 

2 Average number of applications acted upon each year for 8 years. 



36 



riLipnsro appeal fok freedom. 



The foregoing table shows that the total number of homestead 
applications received for eight years, from 1906 to 1913, was 21,445, 
and that the number for the following eight years, from 1914 to 1921, 
the period of Filipino self-government, was 62,656, or an increase of 
41,211, or 192 per cent, for the second period. 

It will also be seen from the above table that the total number of 
applications acted upon for eight years, from 1906 to 1913, was 
16,644, while the number for 1914^ to 1921, eight vears also, was 
50,600, or an increase of 33,956 (about 200 per centj for the second 
period, which was the time of Filipino autonomy. It will be seen 
likewise that the average number of applications acted upon each 
year for eight years, from 1906 to 1913, was 2,080.5, while the num- 
ber for 1914 to 1921, also eight years, was 6,325, or an increase of 
over 200 per cent for the second period. It is also to be noted that 
the number of applications patented in 1913 was 106, which was 
increased to 739, or six times, in 1920, and to 835, or seven times, 
in 1921. 



SALES. 



The following table shows the number of applications for sale of 
public land received, acted upon, and pending each year from 1906 
to 1921, a period of 16 years: 



Sales applications. 
FIRST PERIOD, 1906-1913. 



Year. 


Re- 
ceived. 


Ap- 
proved 


proved 
can- 
celed. 

■ 


Can- 
celed. 


Pat- 
ented. 


Total 
acted 
upon. 


Pend- 
ing. 


Total 
num- 
ber.i 


Aver- 
age 
num- 
ber.2 


1906 


72 
76 
41 
58 
63 
164 
220 
353 


7 

11 

21 

27 
52 
46 




1 


i" 

8 


14 
49 
65 
17 

28 

48 

85 

207 




2" 

3 
4 


21 
66 
85 
28 
49 
77 
141 
265 


92 
104 
60 
90 
104 
193 
277 
385 






1907 






1908 






1909 






1910 






1911 







1912 





1913 












Total 


1,047 












732 


91.5 








1 1 








SECOND 


PERK 


)D, 1914^ 


-1921. 










1914 


337 
431 
354 
683 
716 
732 
1,025 
573 


79 
104 
115 
137 
185 
145 
43 
34 


1 

10 
10 
24 
17 
14 
10 
17 


184 
133 
156 
283 
387 
361 
128 
99 


4 
7 
1 
3 

14 
1 
5 

15 


268 
254 
282 
447 
603 
421 
186 
165 


460 
664 
757 
1,044 
1,205 
1,445 
2,309 
2,766 






1915 






1916 . 






1917 






1918 






1919 






1920 






1921 












Total 


4,851 




i i 






,2,626 


328 






i i 









1 Total number of applications acted upon for 8 years. 

2 Average number of applications acted upon each year for 8 years. 

From the above table we know that the total number of sale appli- 
cations received during the eight years from 1906 to 1913 was 1,047, 
compared with 4,851 for the next eight years from 1914 to 1921. 
There is, therefore, an increase of 3,804, or 364 per cent, during 
sAcond Deriod. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



37 



We likewise see that from 1906 to 1913, eight years, the number 
of sale applications acted upon was only 732, while the number for 
1914 to 1921, eight years also, was 2,626, which was an increase of 
1,894, or 258 per cent, over the first period. The average number 
of sale applications acted upon each year was 91.5 for 1906-1913 and 
328 for 1914-1921. 

LEASES. 

The following table gives the number of lease applications received, 
contracts executed, contracts executed void, and applications can- 
celed from 1906 to 1921, 16 years: 



Lease applications. 

FIRST PERIOD, 1906-1913. 



Year. 


re- exe- . ^^.% 
ceived. 1 cuted. j ^^^d! 

i 1 


Appli- 
cation 
can- 
celed. 


Total 
appli- 
cations 
acted 
upon. 


Pend- 
ing. 


Total 
num- 
ber.i 


Aver- 
age 
num- 
ber.2 


1906 


7 
40 










10 
42 
75 
105 
146 
160 
211 
221 






1907 







8 
7 
11 
23 
55 
67 
80 


8 
12 
16 
25 
59 
69 
86 






1908 


45 
46 
66 
73 
120 
96 


5 
5 
2 
4 
2 


'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. 






1909 






1910 






1911 






1912 






1913 












Total.... 


493 












275 


3.43 

















SECOND PERIOD, 


1914-1921. 










1914 


98 
78 
103 
166 
317 
237 
332 
137 


8 
11 

5 
39 
29 

I 

7 




66 
52 
47 
136 
92 
119 
105 
194 


1 
74 i 

Si 

177 
127 
131 i 
112 
201 


245 
261 
313 
306 
508 
620 
842 
778 






1915 


1 
1 
2 
6 
3 
1 






1916. . 






1917 






1918.. 






1919 .V. 






1920 






1921 














! 


Total 


1,468 




1 


j 


937 117 








1 









1 Total number of applications acted upon for 8 years. 

- Average number of applications acted upon each year for 8 years. 

We learn from the foregoing table that the total number of lease 
applications received from 1906 to 1913, eight years, was 493, while 
from 1914 to 1921 the number was 1,468. There was, therefore, an 
increase of 975, or 197 per cent, for the second period. This table also 
shows that during the period of 1906 to 1913, eight years, the number 
of lease applications acted upon was only 275, while the number was 
937 for 1914-1921, which means an increase of 662, or 240 per cent, 
for the second period. The average number of lease applications 
acted upon each vear was 34.3 for 1906 to 1913, and 117 for 1914-1921. 



38 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



FREE PATENTS. 



The follomng table gives the number of free patent applications 
received and acted upon (canceled and patented) as well as the 
number of patents canceled from 1906 to 1921: 



Free patent applications. 

FIRST PERIOD, 1903-1913. 



Year. 


Re- 
ceived. 


Can- 
celed. 


Pat- 
ented. 


Pat- 
ents 
can- 
celed. 


Total 
acted 
upon. 


Pend- 
ing. 


Total 
num- 
ber.' 


Aver- 
age 
num- 
ber.2 


1906 


3,320 
7,173 

2,577 
2,449 


360 
611 

544 
369 
207 
478 
529 
307 






360 
611 

544 
369 
343 
673 

889 
777 


3,289 
9.851 
11,884 
13,964 
13,621 
12,958 
12,067 
11,290 






1907 










1908 











1909 










1910 


133 
191 
358 
465 


3 
4 

I 






1911 


8 






1912 






1913 
















Total 


15,417 


3,405 


1,147 


14 


4,566 


1 4 566 


571 











SECOND 


PERIOD, 1914-1921. 










1914 


1,191 

1,375 

1,137 

1,819 

1,203 

562 

670 

767 


338 
97 
102 


523 
1,906 
2,117 





861 

2,003 

2,219 

758 

776 

661 

1,169 

955 


11,620 
10, 992 
9,910 
10, 971 
11,398 
11,299 
10.800 
10,612 






1915 






1916 






1917 


280 


475 






1918 


518 258 






1919 


355 308! 

98 i 1,071 1 

68 887 






1920 






1921. 












Total 


8,724 


1,856 7,543 




9,402 




9,402 


1,175 



1 Total number of applications acted upon for 8 years. 

2 Average number of applications acted upon for 8 years. 

The above table shows that the number of free patent applications 
received from 1906 to 1913 was 15,417, while from 1914 to 1921 the 
number was 8,724, or a decrease of 6,693, or 76 per cent for the second 
period. The number of applications canceled from 1906 to 1913 
was 3,405, while the number for 1914-1921 was 1,856, or a decrease 
of 1,547, or 82 per cent for the second period. The number of ap- 
plications patented for the first period (1906-1913) was only 1,147, 
compared ^vith 7,543 for the second period, or an increase of almost 
six times for 1914-1921. The total number of applications acted 
upon for the period of 1906-1913 was 4,566, while from 1914-1921 
the number was 9,402, or an increase of 4,836, or 105 per cent for the 
second period. The average number of free patent applications 
acted upon each year for the first period was 571, while in the second 
period the number was 1,175. 

It appears from the foregoing table on isolated surveys that the 
average number of parcels surveyed in six years, from 1908 to 1913, 
was 6,168 annually, and the average yearly number for eight years, 
from 1914 to 1921, was 9,807, or an increase of 42 per cent for the 
last eight years. Taking the average for the last six years, 1916 to 
1921, the yearly average of parcels surveyed was 9,813, while, as 
already stated, the average for 1908-1913, was 6,168, or an increase 
of 42 per cent for 1916-1921, the last six years of Filipinization of 
the service. 

The above figures further show the increased efiiciency of the 
bureau of lands during the period of Filipinization of that bureau. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



39 



ADJUDICATION OF LAND TITLES. 



Cases disposed of: The number of land-registration cases disposed 
of (title confirmed, title denied, and application dismissed) has in- 
creased from 1914 to 1920, seven years, compared with the seven 
years from 1907 to 1913, as shown by the following table: 



Land-registration 


cases disposed of ( Torrens 


system). 






Year. 


Con- 
firmed. 


Denied. 


Dis- 
missed. 


Total act- 
ed upon. 


Total for 
7 years. 


Average 
yearly. 


1907 


689 
767 

1,019 
885 

1,374 
830 
807 


19 
29 
50 
30 
49 
24 
32 


75 
35 
86 
80 
226 
61 
37 


783 
831 

1,155 
995 

1,649 
915 
876 






1908 






1909. . 






1910 






1911 






1912 






1913 












Total 










7,204 


1,029 














1914 


366 
747 
999 
982 
928 
992 
1,002 
1,857 


14 
26 
20 
25 
25 
13 
9 
14 


19 
19 
28 
66 
32 
31 
34 
34 


399 
792 
1,047 
1,073 
985 
1,036 
1,045 
1,905 






19141 






1915 






1916 






1917 






1918. 






1919 






1920 












Total 










8,282 


1,183 















1 New fiscal year. 

It will be seen that the total number of cases disposed of for the 
first seven years from 1907 to 1913 was 7,204, while the total number 
of cases disposed of for the second seven years from 1914 to 1920 
was 8,282, or an increase of 1,078, or 14 per cent for the second period. 
The average number of cases disposed of each year from 1907 to 1913 
was 1,029, while from 1914 to 1920 the average yearly number was 
1,183. 

The court of land registration ceased to exist on July 1, 1914, 
and its work was transferred to the courts of first instance. The 
total number of cases disposed of from 1915 to 1920, inclusive (six 
years), was 7,091, as compared with 6,421 for six years, also from 
1908 to 1913, inclusive, or an increase of 670, or over 10 per cent 
for the 1915-1920 period. 

DECREES OF TITLE ISSUED. 

The following table shows the number of decrees of title issued 
from 1906 to 1920: 

Decrees of title issued. 



Year. 


Number Number 
of decrees, of parcels. 


Year. 


Number 
of decrees. 


Number 
of parcels. 


1907 


598 1 728 

729 1,057 

896 1,255 

707 1 1,178 

1,888 i 3,080 

1,434 ! 2,575 

7,297 1 9,169 


1914 


3,956 
1,249 
5,786 
37,762 
10,198 
13,538 
14,288 


5,873 


1908 


1915 


2,795 


1909 


19161 


7,094 


1910 


1917 , 


40,779 


1911 


1918 


11.503 


1912 


1919 


15, 465 


1913 


1920 


16,093 




Total 




Total 


13,549 1 19,042 
1,935 1 2,720 

1 


86,777 : 99.(302 


Yearly average 


Yearly average . . . 


12,397 I 14.229 











40 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOB. FREEDOM. 



The total number of decrees of title issued for 1907 to 1913 (seven 
years), as shown above, was 13,549, while from 1914 to 1920 (also 
seven years), the* total number was 86,777, or an increase of 73,228, 
or 541 per cent for the latter period. The average number of decrees 
of title issued each year from 1907 to 1913 (seven years) was 1,935, 
while the average from 1914 to 1920 was 12,397. 

As above stated, the Court of Land Registration was abolished on 
July 1, 1914. The total number of decrees of title issued from 1908 
to 1913, inclusive (six years), was 12,951, affecting 18,314 parcels^ 
while the number of decrees of title issued during the years from 1915 
to 1920, inclusive, was 82,821, affecting 93,729 parcels. In other 
words, for the second period, after the abolition of the Court of Land 
Registration there was an increase of 69,870 decrees, or 516 per cent 
increase, and 75,415 parcels, or 411 per cent increase. 

VIII. Education. 

It is conceded by all that the greatest reform established since 
American occupation is the public-school system. The support the 
Filipino people have given to public schools can not be gainsaid even 
by the most bitter critic of Philippine accomplishments. The first 
bill passed by the Philippine Assembly in 1907 was the appropriation 
of IPl, 000,000 for the building of rural schools. Since 1913 up to 
1921, the growth and progress of the public schools as compared with 
a similar period prior to that time is simply enormous. 

The progress in education is manifested also in the recent census 
of 1918, which gives 49.2 per cent as the literacy of the population 
over 10 years of age. This is considerably greater than the figure 
given by the previous census. 

Figures speak naturally louder than words. We shall, therefore, 
confme our observations to the authentic figures which will follow. 

PROGRESS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 

Number of pupils.— The enrollment of pupils in the public schools 
below the University of the Philippines from the school year 1908-9 
to 1920-21 is as follows: 



Year. 


Enroll- 
ment. 


Increase over pre- 
vious year. 


Average yearly in- 
crease in 5 years. 




Number. 


Per cent. 


Number. 


Per cent. 


1908-9 


570, 502 
587,317 
610, 493 
529, 665 
440, 050 
621,114 
621,114 
638, 548 
675,997 
671,398 
681,588 
791,628 
943, 422 


83,826 
16,815 
23, 176 

1 80, 828 
189,615 
180,980 


17 

2.5 

3.9 

1 13.2 

116.9 

41 






1909-10 






1910-11 






1911-12.. 






1912-13 


19,325 


1 1.3 


1913-14 




1914-15 






1915-16 


17,434 
37,450 
1 4, 599 
10, 190 
110,036 
151, 796 


2.8 
5.8 
.67 
1.5 

J6 

19 






1916-17 






1917-18 > 






1918-19 






1919-20 






1920-21 


61, 174 


8.3 







Decrease. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOE FREEDOM. 



41 



In 1908-9 the enrollment was 570,502, which decreased to 440,050 
in 1912-13 and increased to 943,422 in 1920-21, or more than twice as 
large as in 1912-13. The great increase in enrollment in the public 
schools during the last five school years of Filipino autonomy (1916- 
17 to 1920-21), as compared with the five school years from 1908-9 to 
1912-13, is seen from the above table. The average yearly decrease 
from 1908-9 to 1912-13, the last five years before Filipino autonomy, 
was 9,325, or 1.3 per cent, turned into average annual increase during' 
the last five years of Philippine self-government (1916-17 to 1920-21) 
of 61,174, or 8.3 per cent. 

The average enrollment each year during the five-year period 
(1908-9 to 1912-13) was 547,611, while the number was 752,606 for 
the five years from 1916-17 to 1920-21, or an increase of 37 per cent 
during the latter period. 

Number of schools.— The following table shows the number of 
public schools from 1909 to 1920: 

Number of schools. 



Year. 


Primary. 


Inter- 
mediate. 


Second- 
ary. 


Total. 


Increase 
■\^ous 


over pre- 
year. 


Average yearly in- 
crease. 




Number. 


Per cent. 


Number. 


Per cent. 


1909 . 


4,194 
4,295 
4,121 
3,364 
2, 595 
3,913 
3,837 
4,143 
4,288 
4,276 
4,412 
5,280 


193 
198 
245 
283 
296 
278 
309 
351 
368 
423 
501 
614 


37 
38 
38 
38 
43 
44 
41 
44 
46 
48 
50 
50 


4,324 
4,431 
4,404 
3,685 
2,934 
4,235 
4,187 
4,538 
■4,702 
4,747 
4,963 
5,944 


493 

107 

127 

1719 

1751 

1,301 

148 

351 

164 

45 

116 

981 


11 
2 

116* 

121 

40 

1 1 

8 

4 

1 

2 

20 


1181 
416 




1910 




1911 


1 4.8 


1912 . 




1913 




1914 




1915 




1916 




1917 


10.6 


1918 




1919 




1920 









1 Decrease. 



The number of schools rose from 2,934 in 1913 to 5,944 in 1920, or 
an increase of 102 per cent. 

The average annual decrease of schools from 1909 to 1913 (five years 
preceding Filipino autonomy) was 181, or 4.8 per cent, while the 
average yearly increase from 1914 to 1920 (no figures being available 
for 1921) was 416. 

Number of teachers. — The number of teachers has also increased, 
as shown in the following table: 



Year. 


Number 

of 
Filipino 
teachers. 


Number 

of 
American 
teachers. 


Total. 


Year. 


Num.ber 

of 
FiUpino 
teachers. 


Number 

of 
American 
teachers. 


Total. 


1909 


8,774 
9,007 
9,086 
8,360 
7,671 
9,462 


825 
732 
683 
664 
658 
612 


9,599 
9,732 
9,769 
9,024 
8,329 
10, 074 


1915 


9,845 
10,963 
12,303 
13, 227 


.538 
506 
477 
406 


10,383 
11,469 


1910... 


1916 


1911 


1917 


12,780 


1912 


1918 


13,633 


1913 


1919 


14,433 ! 374 
17, 575 341 


14,807 


1914 


1920 


17, 916 




1 









42 



FILIPIN^O APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



It will be seen from the above table that the number of Filipino 
teachers rose from 7,671 in 1913 to 17,575 in 1920, which means an 
increase of 9,904, or 129 per cent. The number of American teachers 
dropped from 658 in 1913 to 341 in 1920. 

Amount of money spent for schools. — There has likewise been a 
constant increase in the amount spent in education. The following 
table shows the amount spent from 1907 to 1920: 

Expenditures fo7' education {in thousands of pesos). 



Year. 


Insular. 


Pro- 
vincial. 


Munici- 
pal. 


Volun- 
tary 
contri- 
bution. 


Total. 


Increase over 
previous years. 


Average yearly 
increase in 7 years. 


Amount. 


Per 
cent. 


Amount. 


Per 
cent. 


1907 


3,112 
3,498 
3,924 
5,412 
3,998 
4,254 
4,471 
4,590 
4,905 
4,708 
5,177 
6,068 
10, 188 
12,802 


217 
228 
285 
209 
208 
277 
386 
473 
443 
464 
431 
716 
468 
450 


1,508 
1,672 
2,134 
2,516 
2,325 
2,211 
2,456 
2,303 
2,165 
2,395 
3,615 
4,099 
3,716 
4,368 


(^) 

(1) 

(1) 

0) 

(1) 
174 
199 
344 
375 
352 
479 
617 
683 
800 


4,837 

5,399 

6,343 

8,137 

6,715 

6,916 

7,512 

7,710 

7,888 

7,919 

9,702 

11,500 

14,955 

18,420 


151 

562 

944 

1,794 

2 1,422 

201 

797 

198 

178 

31 

1,783 

1,798 

3,455 

31,165 


3 
11 

17 

28 

2 17 

3 

12 

2.6 

2 

.4 

23 

18 

31 

23 






1908 






1909 






1910 






1911 






1912 






1913 


6,551 


8 


1914 




1915 






1916 






1917 






1918 






1919 






1920 


11,155 


14 







1 No data available. 

It will be seen that the total amount spent for public education 
for seven, years from 1907 to 1913 was ^45,859,000, while the 
amount spent for seven years from 1914 to 1920 was 1P78, 094,000, 
which means an increase of ^32,234,000, or 70 per cent, over the 
first period. The average amount spent each year during the first 
period (1907-1913) was ^6, 55 1,400, while the average amount spent 
each year for the second period (1914-1920 Filipino autonomy) was 
^11,155,000. 

The cost per student based on total expenditures and the average 
daily attendance for all schools in 1908 was ^18.26; in 1914, 1P16.52, 
and in 1920, ^28.97. The per- capita cost of education was ^0.50 
in 1903, 1P0.59 in 1907, ^0.79 in 1914, and 1P1.81 in 1920. 

In 1918, under Filipino self-government, the Philippine Legisla- 
ture in Act No. 2782, voted ^30,705,824 for the extension of free 
elementary instructioXi, to be spent in five years, this amount being 
the largest ever set aside. The director of education in his 1920 
report has the following to say on this measure of the legislature: 

Of the P=30,705,824 carried in Act 2782 for the extension of elementary education, 
there was available for expenditure dming 1919 the sum of ^=735,000; during 1920, 
the sum of ^3,919,000; and there will be available for expenditure during 1921 
the sum of F6,305,400, during 1922 the sum of F8,710,440, and diu:ing 1923 the sum 
of Fll,035,984. 

The F3, 919, 000 which became available for expenditure during 1920 was dis- 
tributed as aid to the Provinces and to the municipalities for the opening of new 
elementary schools, for the maintenance of elementary schools already established, 
and for the opening of new classes in elementary schools already established. Nearly 
65 per cent of this sum was spent for the opening of new schools and for the opening 
of new classes in old schools. 



riLIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



43 



Through the extension program it has been planned to double the enrollment in 
the public elementary schools, to effect larger increases in the salaries of municipal 
teachers, and to abolish the collection of tuition fees in intermediate schools — all of 
this to be done during the five-year period from January 1, 1919, to December 31, 
1923. 

The inaugiu'ation of the extension program has given such great impetus to the 
growth of the public schools and has given such great encouragement to the people 
who are most vitally interested in the growth of these schools that, in spite of the 
fact that only about 15 per cent of the total sum appropriated in Act 2782 was avail- 
able for expenditure during 1919 and 1920 (the first two years of the five-year period 
mentioned above), surprising results have been attained, among the most important 
of which are: The opening of 1,713 new primary schools; the opening of 226 new 
intermediate schools; the employment of 6,302 additional primary and intermediate 
teachers; the abolition of the collection of tuition fees in intermediate schools; an 
increase in the annual enrollment in the primary and intermediate grades of 261,768 
pupils; a large increase in the number of primary and intermediate school buildings; 
an increase of 52 per cent in the average monthly salary paid municipal teachers. 

Permanent school buildings. — The number of permanent school 
buildings constructed up to 1913 was 624, which number rose to 
1,046 in 1920. In other words, during the seven years (1914-1920) 
of the Filipino autonomy, 67 per cent more permanent buildings 
were erected than during the 12 years from 1902 to 1913. 

Salaries of Filipino teachers. — The following table shows the 
gradual increase in the salaries of municipal and insular Filipino 
teachers from 1909 to 1920: 

Salaries of Filipino teachers. 



Year. 


Municipal 
teacher. 


Insular 
teacher. 


Year. 


Municipal 
teacher. 


Insular 
teacher. 


1909 


17.83 
18.29 
18.55 
19.93 
21.25 


43.97 
44.66 
45.15 
49.88 
50.31 


1914 


21.34 
22.05 
22.88 
23.98 
25.72 
30.65 
37.86 


50.77 


1910. . 


1915 


56.32 


1911 


1916 


55.88 


1912 


1917.. 


56. 58 


1913 


1918 


59.75 




1919 


65. 83 




1920 . . 


71.76 




Average yearly in- 
crease .... 




Average yearly in- 
crease 


.85 


1..58 


2.75 


3.49 









It will be seen that the average yearly increase in four years, from 
1909 to 1913, was ^0.85 for municipal teachers and ^1.58 for insular 
teachers, while the average yearly increase in six years, from 1914 to 
1920, was ^2.75 for municipal teachers and ^3.49 for insular 
teachers. It will be observed also that while the increase from 1909 
to 1913 was ^3.42 for municipal and ^6.34 for insular teachers, 
the raise from 1916 to 1920 was ^14.98 for municipal and ^15.88 
for insular teachers. 

Attainments of Filipino teachers. — During Filipino autonomy the 
attainments of Filipino teachers were considerably improved, as 
shown in the following table: 

Percentages of intermediate graduates or tetter. 
School year: 

1909-10 25. 16 

1912-13 50. 22 

1916-17 85. 80 

1919-20 95. 87 



44 FILIPIXO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

The aboye data are taken from the thirteenth and twenty-first 
annual reports of the director of education, on pages 48 and 14, 
respectively. They show that the qualities of our public-school 
teachers were improved nearly 100 per cent during Filipino autonomy. 

Efficiency of teaching. — Centralization, with authority vested in 
technical men, is in large measure responsible for the efficiency of 
the public-school system in the Philippines. Leading educators 
in the United States praise the Philippine system and are suggesting 
its adoption in the United States. 

Teachers are trained both before and during their service. Educa- 
tional training is given by the College of Education of the University 
of the Philippines, the Philippine Normal School, the normal schools 
in Albay, Cebu, Ilocos Norte, Iloilo, and Pangasinan, and normal 
courses in five provincial high schools. 

As to the training of teachers while in the service Dr. Luther B. 
Bewley, director of education, says in his annual report for 1921: 

Since the demand for trained teachers in our schools is so much greater than the 
supply, there is only one thing for us to do. and that is to employ each year large 
numbers of teachers without professional training, with the idea of giving them the 
necessary training in the service. We have been confronted with this problem so 
long that we have been able, after years of effort, to develop facilities for the training 
of teachers in the service that will compare favorably with the same facilities of most 
other school systems of the world. 

Among the facilities or agencies that we now have for the training of teachers in 
the 8er\T.ce are vacation assemblies, summer schools, normal institutes, model classes, 
super \ision, reading courses, teachers' meetings, and teacher pensionadoships. The 
teachers' vacation assembly in Baguio and the teachers' vacation assembly in Manila 
are always looked upon by public-school teachers all over the islands as two of the 
foremost of the educational events of the year. 

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES. 

Attendance. — ^The rapid growth of the University of the Philippines- 
is shown by the following table on attendance: 

Academic year attendance. 



1917-18 3,289 

1918-19 :^, 336 

1919-20 3,441 

1920-21 3. 878 

1921-22 4, 718 



1911-12 1, 400 

1912-13 1,398 

1913-14 1, 502 

1914-15 2,075 

1915-16 2, 398 

1916-17 2,975 ' 

We believe there are few, if any, State universities in America that 
have grown so fast in such a short time as the University of the 
Philippines. In 10 years the attendance rose from 1,400 in 1911-12 
to 4,718 in 1921-22, or an increase of 237 per cent. 

Degrees granted. — The following table shows the number of degrees; 
granted by the University of the Philippines: 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOE FREEDOM. 

Degrees granted by the University of the Philippines. 



45 



Degree. 


1911 


1912 


1913 


1 
1914 


1915 


1 
1916 


1917 


1 
1918 


1919 


19201 

1 


1921 


1922 


TolaL 


B. A 


4 


16 


12 


49 


83 


103 


126 


208 


162 


226 
3 

'"q 

1 


3 
3 
2 
15 
...„ 

2 
..... 


..... 

1 
28 
1 
1 
2 
2 


892 


Ph. B 


10 










........... 






1 


2 
9 


6 


B S in Com 














61 


B. S. in Govt 














2 


B S. in Lib. Sc 



















4 


B S 








3 


'"2 


1 
""2" 


.. |.. . 


2 

1 
1 


1 


10 


M. A 


::::::::: 


4 


2 
1 


..... 


14 


M. S 






8 


Sc. D 




1 






1 


H.S.T.C 

B S. in Ed 






; 1 


10 
2 


15 
6 


29 
9 
1 

16 


36 
13 


62 
19 


61 
30 


35 
15 


249 
94 


M. A. in Ed 








1 


1 


B. Agr 


2 


4 


5 


11 


19 


9 


11 

1 
7 
1 
5 


30 


32 


31 


45 


215 


Master Farmer 


1 


B. S. in Agr 


1 


1 


1 
1 


• 2 


5 


1 
1 
1 


2 
2 


3 


7 
4 


9 
2 


24 
1 


63 


M. S. in Agr. 


12 










2 


8 


B. S. in Mec. Eng 














1 I 5 


7 
1 
15 
2 
14 
32 


13 


M. S. inMech. Eng. .... 








1 










1 


B. S.inC.E 

M. S. in C. E 







.......... 


3 


I 

5 
29 


3 
1 
7 
29 
2 


5 
2 
3 
23 
2 


4 

"2 
19 


15 

1 
8 
17 


50 
11 


D. V.M 

LL B 







5 

18 


2 
35 


4 
20 


50 
241 


LL. M 




4 


LL. D. 


1 


. 1 1 


1 
9 






1 
22 


I 




4 


M. D 


3 


9 


8 


16 


5 


23 


24 


28 


25 
8 
2 


25 


197 


B. S. Jr 


8 


B S. in Forestry 








i 








2 


Graduate in Pharmacy 








8 


4 


19 


12 


22 


13 


8 


86 










24 


28 
5 


52 


B S in Pharmacy 










2 


4 
5 
5 


4 
2 

I 


1 
2 
2 


I 

1 


3 


26 












12 


















12 


Doctor of Public Health 










* " '1 




1 















1 


1 






Total 


11 


31 


51 


106 


177 


190 


262 


263 


336 


435 


262 


293 


2,417 





The two preceding tables show that, considering the limited re- 
sources at its disposal, the University of the Philippines is meeting 
the demands upon it as satisfactorily as could be reasonably expected. 

Faculty. — The following table shows the membership of the faculty 
of the University of the Philippines : 



Rank. 


Ameri- 
cans. 


FiU- 
pinos. 


Total. 


Deans ... 




2 
35 

9 
11 
11 

4 
19 


4 
3 

18 
13 
8 
42 
95 
25 


9 


Directors 


5 




53 


Professor'al lecturers . . . 


22 




19 




53 


Instructors . . 


99 


Lecttu"ers 


44 






Total. ... 


96 


208 


304 







The foregoing table shows that there are 141 per cent as many 
Americans as Filipinos holding the highest ranks (professor and 
associate professor). The president of the university is an American. 
The university has always done its utmost to secure the services of 
American professors of high standing in the United States, but, due 
to insufficient funds, the university could not in many cases compete 
with the American universities. However, the American professors 
now in the university are, on the whole, highly capable, and their 
study of the local field in their respective lines has rendered them 
particularly useful as teachers and researchers. 



46 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

IX. Sanitation. 

The sanitation of the Tropics is always a difficult thing. The 
Orient is behind the West in her sanitation. But any impartial 
observer will see that the period of greater Filipino control has meant 
a greater progress in sanitation to the Philippines. In this case^ 
again, we shall not be content with glittering generalities, but will 
get down to actual facts. 

ORGANIZATION. 

From 1909 to 1913 there were more Americans in the higher grades 
of the service. Up to 1913 the chiefs of hospitals were all Americans, 
with the exception of that of Butuan. Of 17 medical inspectors but 
2 were Filipinos, the rest Americans. There were 9 junior medical 
inspectors, all Filipinos, and 27 district health officers, 5 of whom 
were Americans. 

Till 1914 there were 11 Provinces organized into sanitary divisions, 
with a total of 54 divisions, 6 Provinces into municipal health dis- 
tricts, and 21 Provinces into boards of health. 

In 1921 all the Provinces, including those of the Department of 
Mindanao and Sulu, were organized into sanitary divisions, totaling 
307 in all and embracing 639 municipalities, of which 46 sanitary 
divisions correspond to Mindanao and Sulu. 

Up to 1914 there were only 91 physicians employed as municipal 
health officers and 205 sanitary inspectors. 

At the beginning of 1920 there were 333 physicians employed by 
the Philippine Health Service, of which 219 physicians were munici- 
pal health officers and 503 sanitary inspectors and nurses, excluding 
those employed by the Provinces and municipalities. 

Between 1909 and 1914 no health officer had any other means of 
transportation for inspection trips than the ordinary transportation 
peculiar to each Province. 

At present 10 Provinces have automobiles for the exclusive use of 
the district health officers and their employees. These automobiles 
are sometimes used for transporting sick people to hospitals and are 
ready at all times for emergency calls and immediate investigation 
of suspected cases of dangerous communicable diseases. 

Till 1914 the only source of information of morbidit}^ and mortality 
in the Provinces was the statistics kept in the quarterly reports. 

At present a daily telephone report of the number of deaths occur- 
ring during the previous 24 hours is checked with the normal rate 
for each town, and any increase is immediately investigated in order 
that the proper sanitary measures may be taken without delay. This 
is one of the boons brought about by the implantation of the auto- 
matic health control. 

LABORATORIES. 

Up to 1914 Bulacan was the only Province which had an estab- 
lished laboratory. In 1920 there were 21 provincial laboratories, 
excluding those in Mindanao and Sulu. These laboratories are under 
the control of the district health officers. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 47 

MEDICAL RELIEF. 

There is about one physician to each 10,000 inhabitants in the 
Philippines, and it would be absurd to expect that such a small 
number could attend to a greater number of births and deaths. 
It can not, however, be denied that this number has been increasing 
every year, with the graduates coming from our two colleges propor- 
tionately with the number of inhabitants. Thus, for instance, 
in the Provinces in the year 1910 the number of decedents with 
medical attendance was 3.88 per cent of the total number of deaths, 
4.91 per cent in 1914, 6.77 per cent in 1917, 6.47 per cent in 1918, 
6.56 per cent in 1919, and 7.78 per cent in 1920. The increase, 
although slight, was steady during the years just mentioned. 

In the city of Manila, where the proportion of practicing physicians 
to the population is larger, the number of deaths with medical 
attendance was, therefore, larger, being over 50 per cent of the total 
number of deaths for the last five years. The same thing may be 
said with regard to the proportion of births attended by physicians. 
In this connection mention ought to be made of the fact that a large 
number of births and deaths are reported as having had no medical 
attendance, although they may have really had, for the simple 
reason that many physicians are not inclined to extend a death 
certificate, unless they have given assistance to the very end, although 
they may have attended the deceased at the beginning of his ailment. 
The same is true in the Provinces to a more or less extent. 

As a further proof that medical assistance, compared with that 
of recent years, has increased we may cite the large number of hospi- 
tals and dispensaries established not only in the different Provinces 
but also in villages and barrios, to which the sick go for treatment. 
In 1914 the number of our dispensaries was 60. These dispensaries 
were increased to 784 in 1919, and to this number 155 more have to 
be added as having been established in 1920. With reference to the 
total number of persons who have attended the dispensaries and 
hospitals in the Provinces, we may say that their number has increased 
in proportion to the number of dispensaries established. The total 
number of patients treated in the hospitals or rural dispensaries for 
the last five years aggregate 1,621,650, distributed as follows: 158,709 
in 1917, 500,052 in 1918, 332,555 in 1919, 349,768 in 1920, and 
280,576 in 1921, which, compared v/ith the number of patients 
treated in the few dispensaries in 1914, which was only 11,596, show 
a notable progress in the matter of medical assistance bestowed 
upon the community in recent years. With these figures and this 
information, we do not pretend to show that a large proportion of 
the Filipino people are at present enjoying adequate medical service, 
but we do want to demonstrate that in recent years greater atten- 
tion has been bestowed upon these activities, filling up the want 
noted in past years, by increasing the number of hospitals and dis- 
pensaries commensurate to the means at command of the Philip- 
pine Health Service. 

Up to 1914 there were 60 public free dispensaries, in which 11,596 
patients were treated. In 1919 there were 784 dispensaries, in which 
228,923 patients were treated. During 1920, 155 more dispensaries 
were established in the Provinces. 

Up to 1914 there were two insular and six provincial hospitals. 



■48 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



In 1920 there were nine insular hospitals, excluding the Phihppine 
General Hospital and the Southern Islands Hospital, which are at 
present administered under the secretaryship of the Department 
of the Interior, eight hospitals in the Department of Mindanao and 
Sulu, and three provincial hospitals. 

INFANT WELFARE. 

Only one organization existed prior to 1909. 

In 1915 infant-welfare work was inaugurated as a means to forestall 
the high infant mortality, and since then there have been established 
615 institutions, including women's clubs, puericulture centers, 
maternity homes, gotas de leche, dispensaries, and baby contests. 

DISPOSAL OF EXCRETA. 

As late as 1909 very few private houses outside of the city of 
Manila had water-closets. The system in general use was the 
so-called surface type. At the end of 1919 there were 140,565 
Antipolo closets, both public and private, and 5,169 septic tanks. 
Of the Antipolo closets, 1,798 were available for public use. 

WATER SUPPLIES. 

Only 100 artesian wells and 1 gravity water system (Manila) 
furnished safe drinking water in 1909. 

At the end of 1919, the city of Manila included, there were 2,547 
artesian wells and 51 gravity systems furnishing safe, potable water 
to a population of about 2,600,000. 



LEGISLATION. 

The most salient feature of the laws enacted by the legislature 
relative to public health during the period 1913-1921 is their con- 
structive character. 

In response to the growing activities of the health service the appro- 
priation has been augmented from year to year, as may be gleaned 
irom the following figures. They represent the insular, provincial, 
and municipal appropriations available for the Philippine health 
service, including tiie different sums allotted to fit from time to time 
by the emergency board : 

Philippine health service appropriations. 

1916 Fl, 303, 488. 77 



1917. 
1918. 
1919. 
1920. 
1921. 



1,253,656.08 
2,014,230.80 
2,827,536.00 
3,453,828.00 
3,053.828.00 



1909... n, 524, 530. 36 

1910 1,851,324.18 

1911 1,994,730.33 

1912 1, 892, 353. 78 

1913 2,224,103.75 

1914 1, 456, 358. 90 

1915... 1,466,460.87 

It should be noted, however, that prior to 1915 the Philippine 
General Hospital was under the administrative supervision of the 
director of health and its maintenance therefore included in the 
general appropriation of the bureau of health. Barring this item 
out, the appropriation for 1921 represents about three times that 
for 1913. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



49 



In 1915 the old bureau of health was reorganized, coming into 
•existence as the Philippine health service. 

The council of hygiene was created with the purpose of advising 
and assisting the director of health in the administration of the 
Philippine health service, and the procedure to secure funds for health 
purposes in the provinces was provided for, thus placing it out of the 
whims of local politics. 

MORTALITY AND NATALITY. 

The average death rate for the period of 1914-1919 was 28.62 per 
1,000 population, while that of the previous six years (1908-1913) 
was 32.28, showing a decrease of over 4 per thousand, in spite of the 
epidemics of smallpox, influenza, and cholera during the former 
period. 

In the provinces the average mortality rate was 27 per 1,000 for 
the period of 1914-1919, and 26.19 for 1908-1913. There was an 
increase of less than 1 unit, due possibly to the occurrence of three 
extensive and serious epidemics that swept the islands during 1918 
and 1919, viz, influenza, cholera, and smallpox, which diseases 
caused a combined mortality of about 107,787 during 1918 alone. 
Undoubtedly a more complete death registration brought about by 
the improvement in the provincial health organization was partly 
to account for the frightful number of deaths. 

The following comparative table represents the total number of 
deaths which occurred in the city of Manila and in the provinces in 
accordance with the report submitted to the director of health. 
Comparing the total number of reported deaths during those last 
years, caused by said four diseases, it is evident that in all and in each 
of said diseases, mortality has notably diminished from 1918. 

Comparative table of deaths caused by preventable diseases in Manila and Provinces. 





Total niimber of deaths. 


Years. 


Typhoid. 


Malaria. 


Beriberi. 


Tubercu- 
losis. 


191S 


4,395 
3,810 
2,652 


41,014 
37,956 
26,660 


12,597 
12,387 
12,509 


29,318 


1919 . 


29,653 
25,239 


1920 







INFANT MORTALITY 



In spite of repeated epidemics it is gratifying to say that the infant 
mortality has greatly decreased from 425.95 during the period of 
1908-1913 to 329.48 for the period 1914-1919 in Manila, due chiefly 
to the efforts of the service with the cooperation of private institutions. 
In this connection it is worthy of note that the rate for 1920 — 213.02 — 
was the lowest ever attained in Manila. The main factors that have 
influenced this remarkable decrease of infant mortality rate were the 
campaign against infantile beriberi, the enactment of a law for the 
preparation of tiqui-tiqui extract, the organization of public health 
nursing division, which has lately extended its activities to the 

H. Doc, 511, 67-4 4 



50 FILIPINO APPEAL. FOE FREEDOM. 

Provinces, and the establishment of women's clubs, puericulture 
centers, maternity homes, etc. A further decrease in the future in 
the light of actual experience may confidently be expected. 

In the Provinces the infant mortality rate has gone parallel with the 
curve of general mortality, for the reasons already given. The aver- 
ages are 177.95 for the period of 1908-1913 and 186.28 for 1914-1918. 

The natality in the Philippine Islands has run quite a puzzling curve^ 
especially in Manila. Birth rates have been steadily decreasing, both 
in Manila and in the Provinces, during several years past. The 
average birth rate during the six-year period of 1914-1919 was 33.59 
for Manila and 38.46 for the Provinces as against the average for the 
period 1908-1913 of 36.97 for Manila and 39.93 per 1,000 population 
for the Provinces. 

We sincerel}^ confess that no satisfactory reason could be given to 
explain this decrease in the natality in the Philippine Islands. In 
order to make a more thorough investigation as to the causes of this 
decrease a longer period of time would be necessary to have a compre- 
hensive view of the matter. If we examine and compare the curves of 
rates for Manila and the Provinces, we have to admit the existence 
of a common factor that has influenced both. May it perhaps be 
explained by the effects of the World War ? 

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. 

In regard to communicable diseases, the service has not yet passed 
through the stage of epidemic eradication. Much work has already 
been done along this Ime from the American occupation to the pres- 
ent time, but it must be understood that in dealing with the control 
of communicable diseases, many of which are endemic in the Philip- 
pine Islands, the time that has elapsed is so short as to expect to put 
them under complete control. Moreover, an important factor, 
which should not be lost sight of, in the control of these diseases is its 
constructive feature, and this, it should be said, has hardly been 
started, when waves of epidemic outbreaks again appear, keeping the 
activities of the service within the limit of more eradication and 
limiting its efforts to active epidemic campaign. 

The eradication of epidemics is a problem depending upon many 
complex factors, which, although slowly, are nevertheless being 
steadily eliminated. 

Plague has been completely eradicated. The last case of plague in 
human being was registered in 1914. The rat campaign is, however, 
being continued, and since 1915 not a single rat was found positive for 
plague bacilli. 

Smallpox and cholera had been under control for a good number of 
years, but due perhaps to the conditions brought about by the World 
War and influenced by the dreadful epidemics of influenza serious 
outbreaks of these diseases occurred during 1918 and 1919. Vaccina- 
tions against these diseases have since been performed in the whole 
Philippine Islands^3, 523,749 vaccinations against smallpox and 
200,619 vaccinations against cholera — with the gratifying result that 
but very few cases and deaths were registered in both Manila and 
the Provinces. 

The typhoid fever problem has now entered the prosodemic stage — 
well determined contact infection — and the question of its complete 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 51. 

eradication will largely depend upon the extension of hygienic educa- 
tion and the improvement in general sanitation. Typhoid vaccination 
has been pushed during the past year, making it compulsory for all 
contacts, food handlers, and food vendors. In connection with this 
campaign other measures, such as the finding of carriers, the improve- 
ment of water supply, t]^e establishment of good sewage disposal have 
been given impetus. During 1920, 18,938 vaccinations against 
typhoid were performed. 

DYSENTERY, DIPHTHERIA, AND LEPROSY. 

Cases and deaths are decreasing, in general, although there was 
a slight increase in Manila from 10 deaths to 11 per 10,000 popula- 
tion. Two types of dysentery are responsible for this number 
of cases and deaths, but the increase, according to a partial investiga- 
tion, was due mostly to the bacillary type, the amebic being on the 
decrease on account of the improvement achieved along sanitary lines 
in provincial towns. 

Cases and deaths from diphtheria have been steadily decreasing. 
The campaign for searching for and isolating of carriers, started since 
1914, has brought about this satisfactory result. 

Leprosy is one of the diseases that has received more attention from 
the health authorities and the powers that be during recent years. 
Segregation has undoubtedly been instrumental in the relative de- 
crease of the number of lepers found. The modern treatment of lep- 
rosy has been studied and tried with promising results, and on account 
of its importance will be discussed separately in this memorandum. 

INFLUENZA AND TUBERCULOSIS. 

The endemic wave of influenza reached the islands at the end of 
the second quarter, 1918. This wave, however, lasted scarcely two 
months, to reappear and decimate the population during the last 
quarter of the year. This disease alone has doubled the general death 
rate for the year 1918 and contributed to a large extent to increasing 
the number of deaths from several diseases, especially respiratory. 

Cases and deaths from tuberculosis have also gone up, especially 
after the influenza epidemic. But it is just to say that the service has 
not paid much attention to it, the campaign bein^ largely in the hands 
of the Antituberculosis Society, a private institution which is, in great 
part, supported by the government. 

In general, the figures for these communicable diseases, with the ex- 
ception of diphtheria, plague, and leprosy, have gone up. But this 
increase is merely apparent, as the same is mostly due to the improve- 
ment in reporting cases and deaths which resulted from the enforce- 
ment of regulations for compulsory notification. 

TREATMENT OF LEPROSY. 

A committee for the investigation and treatment of leprosy was 
created on May 3, 1920, consisting of the following members : 

Two medical officers of this service, one of whom was appointed 
chairman. 

One bacterioloo:ist from the bureau of science. 



52 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

One chemist from the bureau of science. 

Three professors from the medical faculty of the University of the 
Philippines. 

The preliminary report of this committee has been most encourag- 
ing. The legislature was requested to appropriate the sum of 1P600,- 
000 in order to give adequate treatment for one year to 5,000 segre- 
gated lepers, but in view of the depleted state of the insular treasury 
it was reduced to ^100,000. 

It is interesting to cite at this juncture one of the conclusions of 
the committee on leprosy investigation in its preliminary report : 

In ^iew of the * * * results obtained , it is certain that there are at hand new 
methods of treatment which in the short time that we have used them have caused 
remarkable alleviation of the symptoms of this disease, and which, if used systemati- 
cally over longer periods, will probably produce permanent ciues in a greater percentage 
of cases treated than any of the methods heretofore available. 

X. Local Administration. 

There are five political units in the Philippines for the purpose of 
local administration, namely, Provinces (which are divided into 
regular and special), subprovinces, chartered cities, municipalities, 
and municipal districts. The regular Provinces are those governed 
by the general provincial law and are wholly self-supporting and 
enjoy complete representative government. The special Provinces 
are those organized by special acts and are neither wholly self-sup- 
porting nor enjoying entirely a representative government, their 
status being only temporary to become sooner or later regular 
Provinces. A subprovince is a political subdivision within a regular 
Province, directly administered by a subprovincial governor on 
account of its geographical situation. The chartered cities are those 
governed by special charters on account of their special conditions, 
like Manila and Baguio. The regular municipalities are those gov- 
erned by the general municipal law; and the municipal districts are 
those political units which, for some reason or other, can not main- 
tain themselves as regular municipalities. 

There are 37 regular Provinces and 2 special Provinces under the 
executive bureau, and 9 special Provinces under the bureau of non- 
Christian tribes, 2 subprovinces, 2 chartered cities, 889 municipali- 
ties, and about 400 municipal districts. 

The regular Provinces were formerly governed by a provincial 
board composed ot one elective governor and two appointive mem- 
bers, all 01 which are now elective. The special Provinces were 
formerly governed by a provincial board composed of one appointed 
provincial governor and two appointed members. Now, 7 out of 11 
of our special Provinces elect their provincial governors and third 
members. The subprovinces are governed by the provincial board 
of the corresponding main Province but, as stated above, are being 
administered through their own subprovincial governors. The gov- 
ernment of the city of Manila is vested in a mayor appointed by the 
Governor General and a municipal board elected by the people of 
the city. The municipal board, which is the legislative body for 
the city, consists of 10 members, including the chairman. The 
government of the city of Baguio is vested in a mayor, a vice mayor, 
and three other members, two of them elected by the people. These 
five persons constitute the city council. There is also an advisory 



riLIPINO APPEAL FOR FEEEDOM. 53 

council composed of five Igorotes presided over by the mayor or 
other member of the city council, whose duty is to make suggestions 
and recommendations to the city council in matters of general interest. 
The Governor General appoints the mayor and vice mayor and one 
member of the city council and all the members of the advisory 
council. The regular municipal government is vested in a president, 
a vice president, and a council, all elected by the people. The gov- 
ernment of the municipal districts is also vested in a president, a 
vice president, and a council, all appointed b}^ the provincial governor 
of the Province. 

Practically all the officials and subordinate employees of these differ- 
ent kinds of our local governments, whether appointed or elected, are 
Filipinos, and practically all the responsible officials in our local gov- 
ernments are elected by the people. We can, therefore, safely say 
that the people or their authorized representatives govern our Prov- 
inces and municipalities. 

Our provincial and municipal governments are acting under specific 
powers granted them by the legislature. They have also what we call 
a general welfare clause authority granted them by law, but they can 
only act under this authority with the supervision of the department 
of the interior. 

The principal aim of the administration is to give our provincial and 
municiprl governments as great a local autonomy as compatible with 
the existing laws. Formerly, Provinces, municipalities, and chartered 
cities were under the administrative supervision and control of the 
Governor General, but after the reorganization act all our local gov- 
ernments were transferred to the department of the interior, acting 
through the executive bureau or the bureau of non-Christian tribes, 
as the case may be. But neither the department of the interior nor 
the executive bureau intervenes by means of executive requirement, 
except in rare instances, as such policy has been found to work cur- 
tailment on the autonomy of our Provinces and municipalities. Ac- 
cordingly, our Provinces and municipalities are not subject to inter- 
vention by the central government so long as they confine themselves 
within the province of theh legal powers. Acting within these powers 
our Provinces and municipalities are self-governing communities, 
petty commonwealths. Neither the department of the interior nor 
the executive bureau intervenes on then* own initiative in the acts, 
resolutions, etc., of the municipalities, and the executive bui'eau takes 
cognizance of questions involving such acts and resolutions only when 
appeal is taken pursuant to the provisions of the administrative code, 
in which case only the point of legality or illegality of an act or reso- 
lution concerned is decided. When a protest is filed by a person or 
persons affected, the bureau passes upon the protest and, if found to 
be well founded, makes the necessary and proper suggestion to the 
provincial board, which invariabl}' takes action accordingly. As a 
rule, the question of the convenience or wisdom of a measm^e is left 
primarily for the municipality to decide, and the central government 
does not interfere unless there is a clear abuse of authority or wanton 
or capricious exercise thereof. 

This is also true of administrative charges formulated against mu- 
nicipal officials. Although the executive bureau, with the approval of 
the secretary of the interior, is empowered to conduct special investi- 
gation of charges formulated against municipal officials, it has never 



54 



riLIPIN^O APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



made use of such power except in rare instances where the interest of 
justice and good government so require. The investigation and pun- 
ishment of municipal officials are thus left entirely in the hands of 
their ov^'n immediate chiefs. 

Comparing the number and result of administrative cases for 1909- 
1913 vrith those for 1914-1920, we give the following comparative 
tables : 



Officials. 


Number 
of cases. 


Number 
officials 
found 
guilty. 


Officials. 


Niunber 
of cases. 


Number 
officials 
fotmd 
guilty. 


1909-1913. 


5 
929 


i 
671 1 


1914-1920. 


2 
660 




Mumcit)al 




419 




Total 




Total 


934 


676 


662 


420 









The above table shows that from the year 1909 to 1913, inclusive, 
^Ye years, there were accused o provincial officials and 929 municipal 
officials, of whom all of the former and 671 of the latter were found 
guilty. On the other hand, from the years 1914 to 1920, inclusive 
(seven years) , there were accused only 2 provincial officials and 660 
municipal officials, of whom only 1 of the former and 419 of the latter 
were found guilty. This result is most gratifying. It shows a con- 
stant improvement in our municipal administration, a better realiza- 
tion on the part of our municipal officials of the responsibilities con- 
tracted by them with their constituents — the people whose sovereign 
will has exalted them to position and power. 

It is gratifying to note that this policy of granting greater autonomy 
to our local Provinces and municipalities is productive of good results. 
Our provincial and municipal officials now more than ever appear to 
understand the responsibilities they have assumed and their adminis- 
tration has been characterized as a rule by initiative, prompt action, 
and devoted interest in the weKare of the community. Rarely have 
they adopted ordinances and measures which could not stand the test 
of propriety. Some of their, acts have been found beyond the sphere 
of their powers, defective in form, but these cases were few, and 
whenever found to occur investigation showed that the error has been 
committed with the wholesome intention of serving public interest, not 
for any selfish or personal end. 

The chief sources of revenue of Provinces and municipalities are 
the cedula tax, the percentage of the internal-revenue taxes accruing 
to them, the land tax, the fees for cattle, registration, and the munici- 
pal licenses and rents and profits derived from the municipal utilities, 
privileges, and properties. The policy with reference to taxation is to 
permit Provinces and municipalities to increase local taxes, especially 
those proceeds intended for education, sanitation, and permanent 
public improvements. 

One of the most significant and substantial results obtained from 
the extension of popular control over our local governments and the 
Filipinization and local autonomy policies observed during the past 
years is the remarkable improvement of the finances of our Provinces 
and municipalities notwithstanding the difficulties encountered due 



FILIPINO APPEAL. FOR FEEEDOM. 65 

to the economic crisis of recent years. Some facts about this improve- 
ment of our local finances should be known: During the period of 
1914-1920 a general revision of assessment of real properties was 
conducted in all Provinces in accordance with the law. From this 
assessment we find an increase of 1,703,449 in the number of lots 
of taxable real property on December 31, 1920, as compared with 
the number of taxable property on September 30, 1913. This in- 
crease is about 100 per cent. Likewise the value of real properties 
subject to taxation for the periods ending on the dates above men- 
tioned has increased, the increase valuation being jP822,985,360, 
or about 280 per cent. The increase, of course, means increased 
revenue from the real property tax source for our local governments. 

The collection of local taxes by provincial treasurers and their depu- 
ties has also shown a remarkable degree of improvement since the time 
of our autonomous government. In the exercise of their supervisory 
function the department of the interior and the executive bureau have 
been suggesting ordinances imposing taxes. Local governments in 
almost all cases have accepted the department's suggestion and the 
result is quite remarkable. A study of the revenues of the Provinces 
and municipalities during 1914-1920 as compared with the period 
1909-1913 shows an increase of 1,090 per cent, the average per- 
centage of yearly increase being 155.5 per cent. 

Some concrete figures about the market collections in our Provinces 
and municipalities should also be known. During the years 1909- 
1913 the market collections of the Provinces under the executive 
bureau were 1P3,964,810.81, or an average per annum of 1^792,962.17, 
while during the period of 1914-1920 our market collections in the 
Provinces and municipalities reached the total of ^7,940,370.62, or 
an average per annum of ^1,154,732.78. 

Notwithstanding the fact that the revenue collections in our Prov- 
inces and municipalities have been greatly and remarkably increased 
every year, the amount of money collected has proved to be insuffi- 
cient to cover the financing of the whole program of intellectual and 
moral development and to meet other growing needs of these com- 
munities. To remove this difficulty, it has been found necessary to 
give our Provinces and municipalities greater autonomy in the impo- 
sition of local taxes. In fact, there is already a bill submitted to our 
legislature in this respect, and we hope that the same will become 
law in an immediate future. 

The program of improvements most heartily accepted by our local 
officials is the establishment of more schools and school buildings, 
market buildings, roads and bridges, artesian wells, waterwork sys- 
tems, electric-light plants, municipal presidencias, provincial capitols, 
etc. This program is so extensive, and so intense is the people's 
desire for its execution, and at the same time the funds in the govern- 
ment's treasm*y so insufficient, that it has been found necessary in 
almost all the Provinces of the archipelago either to solicit voluntary 
contributions from the people in money and other effects or materials, 
or to ask for loans from the central government, payable by install- 
ments. 

Another fact which is worthy of mention here is the dissemination 
of English as the only recognized language in all official correspond- 
ence in oiu" Provinces and municipalities. From the very beginning 
of American government in the islands the policy has been to make 



56 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

the English language the common and official language in the^ 
Philippines. 

Such desire found expression in an act passed by the Philippine 
Commission in 1904 making the English language the official language 
of all courts and their records, beginning 1906 (this period, however, 
was extended by later acts of legislature), and in the executive order 
of the Governor General of August 8, 1912, requiring all the officials, 
and employees of the government, except the courts, to use whenever 
possible the English language in writing their correspondence, and 
the provincial boards and municipal councils in their minutes and in 
their correspondence. There is, however, a proviso in said executive 
order to the effect that where it is not practicable to carry this polic}^ 
into effect the offices concerned should inform the executive bureau,, 
whose chief is empowered to modify the rule in such case. It is,. 
indeed, very gratifying to note that from 1914 to 1920 only 28 
requests for exceptions from the provincial boards and 54 from the 
municipal councils were made to the executive bureau for permission 
to continue the use of the Spanish language in their minutes and in 
their official correspondence. It is no exaggeration to say that now 
almost all provincial boards and municipal councils have adopted 
and are now using the English language with success. 

XI. Labor. 

The last administration, being in closer touch with the people,, 
has naturally shown a much deeper regard for those affairs which 
directly touch the life of the people. The interest of the govern- 
ment in a more harmonious relationship between labor and capital- 
is a proof to this fact. Upon native initiative, a bureau of labor 
has been established for the promotion of better relations between 
capital and labor. It urges legislation for the improvement of the 
condition of the laborers. It compiles data on labor conditions and 
is empowered to inspect shops, factories, and other industrial and 
commercial establishments which employ labor. 

Another important work of the bureau of labor is to settle differ- 
ences between employers and labor unions. The bureau acts as an 
arbitrator in questions affecting them in order to avoid strikes or to 
settle strikes which have been called by laborers. Under its auspices 
committees on conciliation and arbitration are often appointed. The 
decision of the committee in order to be binding must be approved 
by at least two members of the representatives of each party. The 
committee can also appoint an arbiter, whose decision shall be com- 
pulsory on both sides. 

The bureau of labor is empowered through its attorney to bring 
suits gratuitously for poor laborers when their attempts at peaceful 
and amicable settlements prove futile. It also maintains employ- 
ment agencies where those who need work may apply, and superin- 
tends the interprovincial migration of laborers. 

The activities of the bureau before and after 1914 are shown in the 
comparative figures contained in the following tables: 



FILIPIlSrO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



57- 



Comparative statement of the important activities of the bureau of labor from the middle 
of the year 1909 {year of creation) up to 1921, inclusive. 





Strikes and other 
industrial disputes. 


Adjustment. 


Status. 


Causes of conflicts. 


Year. 


Number. 


Workers 
involved. 


With ad-' ,„^^_, 

vantage I ^^amst 

to worker, ^o'^ker. 


Unionist. 


Non- 
unionist. 


Wages. 


All other 
causes. 


1909-10 


13 
11 


3,105 

222 

4,488 

2,880 


1 
7 6 


8 
3 
15 

8 


5 
2 
5 
3 


3 
5 
14 

8 


10 


1911 


5 
16 






1912 


4 


6. 


1913 


4 




3 






Total . . 


49 


10,695 


32 


17 


34 


15 


30 


19^ 






1914 


10 

iJ 

50 

84 
67 
68 
35 


1,017 


4 


fi 


6 


4 


A 

13 
37 
50 
50 
48 
22 


4 


1915 


.336 ■ 8 i 31 6 1 5 




1916 


4,485 1 7 


10 i 7 


10 
3 
1 

13 
22 
9 


4 


1917 


5,842 
16,289 
. 4,150 
11, 139 
19,782 


40 
62 
43 
51 
13 


10 
22 
24 

17 
22 


47 
83 
54 
46 
26 


13 


1918 


34 


1919 


17 


1920 


20 


1921 


13 






Total 


342 


63,040 


228 


114 1 275 


67 


237 


105. 











Conflicts betiveen rnasters and servants and employers and workpeople regarding the 

payment of wages, etc. 





Claims 
and 
com- 
plaints. 


Num- 
ber of 
claim- 
ants. 


Causes. 


Adjustment. 


Amount. 


Year. 


Wages. 


All 

other 
causes. 


In 
favor 

of 
worker. 


Against 
worker. 


Can- 
celed 
or dis- 
missed. 


i 


Total 
involved. 


1909-10 

1911 


23 
37 
199 
299 


53 
138 
890 
800 


7 
34 
182 
292 


16 
3 

17 

7 


7 

17 

118 

215 


16 
14 
40 
23 


6' 

41 
61 


n59.55 F405.89 

511.03 1 6,206.70 

2,009.23 2,792.14 

7,918.96 7,168.20 


r565. 44 
6,717.73 


1912 


4,801.37 
15,087.16 


1913 






Total 


558 


1,881 


515 


43 

28 
126 
69 
37 
51 
56 
66 
105 


357 



374 
266 
273 
212 
95 
178 
247 
344 


93 


108 

.337 
396 

""■3.52' 
180 


10,598.77 16,572.93 

6,931.09 ; 8,817.93 
9.107.87 i 18,273 79 
6,662.44 24,517.22 
6,503.20 1 14,471.72 
2,494.58 1 25,981.28 
6,282.63 1 12,048.08 
23.626.04 ! 12,048.85 
24,277.66 ! 22,079.87 


27,171.70 


1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1919 

1920 

1921 


753 
795 
527 
597 
327 
2.392 

2 478 

3 605 


1,264 
795 
940 

1,041 
.337 
455 
619 
775 


725 
669 
458 
560 
276 
336 
326 
500 


42 

133 

1254 

33 

52 

1139 

1145 

1205 


15,749.02 
27,381.66 
31,179.6& 
20,974.92' 
28,475.8& 
18,330.71 
35,674.8» 
46,357.53 




Total.... 


4,474 


6,226 


3.850 


538 


1,989 


1,003 


1.265 


85,885.51 ! 138, 238. 74 


224, 124. 25 



1 Dismissed included. 

2 75 and 86 claims were pending in 1919 and 1920, respectively, but were subsequently acted upon in the 
year folio-wing. 

3 ,56 claims were pending at the close of 1921 . 



58 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



Labor accidents. 





Number 

of 
accidents. 


Victims. 


Indem- 
nified. 


Not 
indem- 
nified. 




Year. 


Degree of incapaci- 
tation. 


Fatal. 


Total. 


Amount 
collected 

as in- 
demnity. 




Tempo- 
rary. 


Per- 
petual. 


1909-10 


123 

168 
170 

178 


105 
149 
147 
133 




18 
59 
56 
45 


123 
210 
215 
190 


13 
82 
161 
116 


110 
128 
54 

74 


$1,821.17 
3,383.08 
5,238.23 
5, 538. 23 


1911 


2 
12 
12 


1912 


1913 . 






Total 


639 


534 


26 


178 


738 


372 


366 


15,980.71 




1914 


267 
323 
301 
349 
193 
393 
460 
306 


213 

283 
262 
279 
252 
385 
387 
246 


18 
12 
8 
30 
38 


60 
56 
72 
58 
51 
42 
109 
111 


291 
351 
342 
367 
341 
427 
551 
374 


220 
209 
244 
285 
158 
1250 
282 
250 


113 
100 
98 
82 
183 
1143 
269 
124 


8,307.22 
9,817.92 
8,696.27 
6,713.41 
7, 579. 25 


1915 


1916 


1917 


1918 


1919 


8, 743. 76 


1920 


55 
17 


11,516.99 


1921 


18,284.08 




Total 


2,592 


2,307 


178 


559 


3,044 


1,890 


1,112 


79,658.90 





1 These figures refer to cases of accidents, 
close of 1921. 



The cases of 31 victims were still pending fo rsolution at the 



Number oj home seekers and contracted laborers, including members of Jamilies, recruited 
by the bureau of labor since its creation up to December 31, 1921. 

Home seekers and contracted laborers, including members of families: 

1909-10 126 

1911 3, 390 

1912 2, 244 

1913 5, 799 

Total 11,559 

1914 4, 028 

1915 1, 085 

1916 2, 019 

1917 4, 442 

1918 7, 919 

1919 3, Oil 

1920 (this number includes home seekers indirectly recruited by the bu- 
reau of labor) 16, 281 

1921 (recruitment for home seekers was suspended by the middle of June, 

1921, due to the retrenchment policy of the government) 3, 168 

Total 41,953 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

Registration and 'placements of workers. 



59 



Year. 


Registered. 


Placed. 


Percentage 


1909-10 


1,864 
2,204 
5,612 
5,631 


. 973 
1,334 
2,598 
2,501 


52.2 


1911 


60.5 


1912 . . 


46.3 


1913 


44.4 






Total- 


15,311 


7,406 


48.37 






1914 


4,473 
3,076 
5,304 
7,058 
5,992 
3,S34 
4,497 
3,785 


3,145 
2,971 
4,103 
5,385 
5,735 
3,403 
3,416 
3,028 


70.3 


1915 


96.6 


1916 


77.4 


1917 


76.3 


191'^ 


95.7 


1919 


88.8 


1920 


75.9 


1921 


80.4 






Total. . 


37,997 


31,187 


82.7 







Note. — The above figures comprise the number of persons of different trades registered and placed 
by the agencies of the bureau of labor, \\T.th the exception of contracted laborers and homeseekers; a 
detailed statement of the same appears in another table. 

Movement of Filipino laborers to and from the Territory of Haivaii. 



Year. 


Emigrants 


to Hawaii 




Emigrants returnin 


g to the PhiUppines. 


Total. 


Men. 


Women. 


Minors. 


Total. 


Men. 


i 
Women, j Minors. 


1915 


2,150 
2,214 
2,598 
2,761 
3,797 
3,4.54 
6,814 


1,777 
1,877 
2,191 
2, 030 
3,181 
3,042 
5,748 


180 
157 
178 
284 
319 
225 
628 


193 
180 
229 
447 
297 
187 
438 


347 
465 
733 
841 
948 
1,281 
2,705 


260 
342 
568 
645 
677 
1,093 
1, 953 


1 
40 ! 47 


1916 


64 59 


1917 


72 93 


1918 


65 131 


1919 


104 167 


1920 


75 113 


1921 


249 i 503 






Total 


23, 788 


19. 846 


1.971 


1.971 


7, 320 


5, .538 


669 1 113 







Note. — The data on emigrants corresponding to the period of time from 1909 to 1914 were not classified 
as to sex and class, inasmuch as this acti^'ity came under the jurisdiction of the bureau of labor in 1915 by 
%'irtue of act 2486. The approximate munber of emigrants to Hawaii was 19,059 in the above period of 
time. No data are available of the mmiber of emigrants who have retm-ned to the Pbihpptnes from 1909 
to 1912. The number of emigrants who have returned to the islands from 1913 to 1914 is 159. 

From the year 1914 to 1921 the bureau of labor has recruited and 
sent to different places of the archipelago 41,953 laborers and home 
seekers, and has given employment to 31,187 men and women of dif- 
ferent trades. The effect of this campaign has been, of course, the 
dissemination in the mind of the laboring class of the necessity of 
moving from the congested places of the island to thinly populated 
and uncultivated regions. This gives them an inducement to cultivate 
the soil and become small landow^ners. 

In order to attain the best possible results in the campaign of the 
bureau relative to the intermigration of laborers, committees of propa- 
ganda have been organized in different points of these islands. These 
committees cooperate with recruiting agents in convincing the people 
of the benefits of intermigration, and encouraging them to stay in 
their own country rather than go abroad in the expectation of high 
wages. 

Actually there are 1,868 committees of propaganda with a member- 
ship of 11,612. 



60 riLiPi:N'o appeal pok freedom. 

XII. Social Progress. 
(a), women's activities. 

The first woman's organization of a nonsectarian character to gain 
considerable prestige and recognition in this country is the Woman's 
Club of Manila. It was organized in 1910 by prominent ladies of 
Manila at the initiative of Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt. Since its or- 
ganization this club has always been a cosmopolitan one, and its mem- 
bership list has always contained the names of prominent ladies in the 
city — Americans, English, French, Filipino, and others. 

Through its various committees the club succeeded in establishing 
four day nurseries in the city of Manila; in getting put up the flower 
market, formerly located at the foot of the Bridge of Spain, but now in 
the botanical gardens; in getting an industrial teacher for the insane 
women at San Lazaro, and a teacher for the women prisoners atBilibid. 
The club also contributed much toward the success of the Liberty 
loan campaigns in the islands, and helped greatly in Red Cross work 
during the war. 

During the most critical moment of the World War, the Woman's 
Club of Manila, through its civic committee, conducted an island-wide 
campaign in home gardening and poultry raising. This was in the year 
1916 and it marked the beginning of the organization of branch wo- 
man's clubs in dift'erent parts of the islands. At that time one or two 
women's organizations were in existence in some of the more pro- 
gressive Provinces, but the interest of the women was only local. 

For the purpose of giving proper instructions to the women about 
organizing clubs several interested members of the Woman's Club of 
Manila went out to the Provinces to lead the organization. The names 
of Mesdames Wrentmore, Levant, Brown, Westerhouse, Pond, Kalaw, 
Apacible, Calderon, Agcaoili, Morente, Vamenta, Delgado, and the 
Misses Barreto, Fernandez, Almeda, Lopez, and Wrentmore (now 
Mrs. Francis B. Harrison), will always be remembered in connection 
with the arduous trips made to the Provinces to get the provincial 
women interested and to appeal to their patriotism. At that time the 
sole aim was to help win the war by working in the Philippines for a 
more stable supply of food products for local consumption. Incident- 
ally, work in connection with the Liberty loan campaigns and the 
Red Cross drive were carried on as a part of the task of the women. 

The provincial women responded splendidly to the appeal made to 
them. It was surprising to note how quickly clubs sprung up in 
to^vns where women never ventured out to do anything of the kind 
before. 

In less than six months many women's clubs were organized. By 
the end of the year 1918, 190 clubs were in good working order, re- 
porting splendid work in home gardening and poultry and hog raising, 
and working harmoniously with the government officials in civic mat- 
ters of interest to the country in general and their town in particular. 

vSince 1918 the growth of the clubs in the Provinces has been very 
steady and encouraging, until to-day there are 342 woman's clubs 
established from far-north Cagayan to southern Jolo. And the 
Filipino women by doing this have stepped out from their old shell of 
seclusion and taken up their responsibilities side by side with the men, 
and hand in hand with their sisters in the most progressive countries 
of the world. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 61 

In the year 1921, at the convention held in Manila, these clubs de- 
cided to federate, and we now have the National Federation of Wo- 
man's Clubs of the Philippines. The federation holds an annual con- 
vention at which delegates from the various woman's clubs in the 
islands come to attend. It is primarily a charitable organization, 
taking no part in religion or politics. 

Since the close of the war the work of the clubs has extended 
to a mder field of action. Food production continues to be one of its 
activities, for with better and a more varied diet, there will be 
stronger mothers and, consequently, stronger babies and children. The 
principal activity, which appeals to the club women generally, is the 
work in connection with the infant mortality campaign. With the 
conveniences of the law recently passed providing for insular aid to 
all charitable organizations desiring to carry on permanent work in 
child- welfare work, the interest of the women has become more keen. 
Women's clubs are trying their best to raise funds for their work. 
The most progressive ones have started to do work of their own 
accord, and already dispensaries and health centers have been estab- 
lished in the bigger towns. 

Besides these two activities, the clubs take up the problem of 
civic betterment in their localities. Schools and playgrounds have 
been established through the initiative of some clubs; streets and 
parks have been widened and made more attractive: and markets and 
other public conveniences have always received attention from inter- 
ested club women. 

But the most salient result of club work in this country is the 
educational influence it is bearing upon the Filipino woman. It is 
the ardent expectation of every club woman in the Philippines to 
work ultimately for a better standard of living, especially among the 
laboring class, in order to give their children a fair start in life b}^ 
giving them a good home. 

The clubs will continue to carry on the work they have started as 
enumerated in the foregoing paragraphs. 

The present program of work, as outlined and discussed at the last 
convention, is as follows: 

1. Infant mortality work — in correlation with the plans of the 
public welfare commissioner. 

2. Sanitation and town improvement. 

3. Food production. 

One encouraging feature of club work in this country is that it is 
attracting the sympathy of the government, a case which is not true, 
in a financial sense, in other countries. The clubs here work in 
coordination with the different branches of the government which 
have something to do with their activities. Such are the bureau of 
agriculture in the food-production campaign and the bureau of health 
in sanitation and town improvement. These two government insti- 
tutions help the clubs by giving advice and suggestions and instructing 
their field employees to help the clubs as much as possible. 

The financial aid of the government to deserving clubs is given 
through the public welfare commissioner's office. The public welfare 
commissioner is taking an unselfish interest in those clubs doing 
creditable work and always extends insular aid to them upon proper 
application to carry on activities dealing with child-welfare work. 



62 FILIPINO APPEAL FOE. FREEDOM. 

A group of clubs in one of the Provinces made a petition, indorsed 
by the federation, requesting the Governor General to set aside a 
day to be known as mother's day in the Philippines. This petition 
was favorably acted upon, and the Governor General has proclaimed 
the first Monday of December of every year as mother's day in the 
Philippines. 

The clubs are also petitioning their legislators to pass a law pro- 
viding for the establishment of a proper juvenile court in the city. 
This petition has been presented for the third time at the last session 
of the legislature and favorably recommended by the Governor Gen- 
eral in his message, but no action was taken on it. The clubs will 
continue to petition for it until they get it established. 

Another petition which has created quite a stir among our legis- 
lators is the one asking for the complete abolition of cockpits in the 
islands, cockfighting being known as the national sport of the Filipino 
people. In its place athletic games are recommended as a better 
sport. This petition was headed by several of the representatives 
and senators and a bill was presented in both houses of the legislature. 
Both bills were killed after a deliberate discussion in both houses. 

There are at present 342 women's clubs in the Philippines in good 
working order. Added to these are a number of junior clubs, which 
have for members girls ranging from 12 to 18 years of age. From 18 
up the women are admitted as regular members of women's clubs. 

There are approximately 12,000 women enrolled as members in the 
various women's clubs. A good majority of them (about two-thirds) 
understand and speak English, and they conduct their meetings and 
write their communications in English. The rest use Spanish or the 
native dialect at their meetings and write their communications in 
Spanish. 

Club work in the Philippines is still in its early stage, but it is 
growing fast. With the impetus given the club women they have 
succeeded in accomplishing the liUle that they could do for the 
betterment of their country. Outside help is, in a general way, not 
lacking. The women's clubs expect to achieve their present plan of 
activities and, incidentally, strive to work along some other line of 
activities that may demand their attention from time to time. The 
federation will continue to org:anize more clubs and extend its work 
all over the islands. It will also continue to work for better laws for 
women and children, and especially for working women. 

(b) public welfare work. 

The present state of charity work in the Philippines had its histori- 
cal beginning during the early part of Spanish occupation, when the 
Catholic Church first distributed alms to the poor. The large endow- 
ments of this church, together with the revenue from its vast estates 
and the contributions of individuals, enabled it to carry on all the 
charitable work it undertook. The funds thus collected were used for 
various purposes — support of church activities and religious orders; 
alms for the poor; doweries for poor Spanish girls, Filipino and Mes- 
tizo women; contributions to hospital and prison funds. 

The church is still promoting and supporting the good enterprises 
it started and is inspiring the establishment of similar work all over 
the islands. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 63 

With the advent of the American regime, and the consequent seda- 
ration of the church from the state, many new welfare organizations 
were estabhshed. In va^rious parts of the islands the Protestant mis- 
sions founded hospitals, schools, and asylums, which have become 
great factors in promoting modern welfare work. Other private or- 
ganizations, such as the Anti-Tuberculosis Society, ''La Liga Nacional 
Filipina para la Proteccion de la Primera Infancia," the '^Gota de 
Leche," and the Woman's Club of Manila were created to work side 
by side with the religious organizations in solving the many pressing 
social problems that have developed with progress and civilization. 

In the early days of the American occupation the government had 
so much reconstruction work to do that it had no time to devote to the 
promotion and support of charitable work. Welfare organizations 
were established, only to fail because of lack of funds. The govern- 
ment gave a few deserving institutions financial assistance, but fixed 
no rules and regulations regarding the expenditures of money thus 
allotted. 

Once a stable government was established the legislature turned its 
attention to the improvement of social conditions. The development 
of modern social work in the Philippines has been slow but nevertheless 
progressive. 

The Jones law, which created the new organic act of the Philippine 
Islands, curtailed many of the activities of the sectarian welfare in- 
stitutions which received financial support from the government by 
providing in part as follows : 

''No public money or proj)erty shall ever be appropriated, applied^ 
donated, or used, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support 
of any sect, church, denomination, sectarian institution, or system of 
religion, or for the use, benefit, or support of any priest, preacher, 
minister, or other religious teacher or dignitary as such.^' 

The immediate effect was the creation of many nonreligious welfare 
organizations, several of which are now functioning in Manila and in 
various parts of the islands. 

Recognizing the need of coordinated work among the private and 
public welfare agencies, the legislature on February 5, 1915, created 
the public welfare board. This board acted as the government agency 
for controlling the disbursement of public charity funds to semiprivate 
institutions like the Anti-Tuberculosis Society, "Gota de Leche," and 
the Woman's Club. 

On February 23, 1916, an act was passed by the legislature appro- 
priating ^1,000,000 for the protection of early infancy and the estab- 
lishment of branches of the "Gota de Leche." Local organizations 
were granted aid from this fund as much as what they raised. It may 
be stated that at this period the government had definitely decided to 
undertake the campaign against infant mortality. 

In 1917 the government established an orphanage for destitute and 
dependent children from all over the islands. The activity of the 
institution was further regulated by the enactment of act 2815. The 
orphanage since its foundation has been managed according to the 
most modern methods and principles. 

On February 18, 1918, the public welfare board membership was 
reduced to five and its administrative control was placed under the 
department of the interior. The administration of the million-peso 
funds for the protection of early infancy and the establishment of 



"64 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

maternity and child-welfare centers were also placed under the control 
of the Secretary of the Interior on March 22, 1920. Later these ac- 
tivities were all grouped together by act 2988, enacted February 24, 
1921, into one office — the office of the public welfare commissioner — 
which started operation on May 1, 1921. 

The aims of the office can be summarized as follows : 
To promote all work directed toward the early reduction of infant 
mortality in the Philippines by employing adequate means for this 
purpose and for carrying out other activities intended to bring about 
the general welfare of the community, especially that which concerns 
children. 

The office of the public welfare commissioner has laid out definite 
plans for the reduction of* infant mortality in the islands. 
^. 1. It plans to train an efficient corps of maternity and child- 
welfare workers, who will be ready to respond to calls from all parts 
of the islands : 

(a) By giving instructions in case work to its medical and social 
service members of its staff in community organization, coordination 
of social forces, organizations, and management of medical and child- 
welfare centers. 

(b) By imparting the same knowledge to cooperating physicians, 
nurses, midwives, and other child-welfare workers outside of the 
office. 

(c) By supervising and advising existing maternity and child- 
welfare agencies or institutions, in order to make their work come up 
to a certain standard. 

2. It plans to coordinate all child-welfare activities, like those of 
the Philippine health service, of the Philippines chapter, American 
Red Cross, of the Federation of Woman's Clubs, of the Antitubercu- 
losis Society, of hospitals and dispensaries, of the Liga Nacional Fili- 

Eina para la Proteccion de la Primera Infancia, and of the Gota de 
leche. 

3. It plans to call the attention of the public to the need of child- 
welfare work in the islands and educate them in the method of com- 
bating infant mortality: 

(a) By distributing literature and by holding public conferences. 

(b) By encouraging the establishment of maternity and child- 
welfare centers by offering financial and technical assistance to 
deserving institutions or agencies. 

4. It plans to make surveys and do research work in the field of 
child welfare in order to bring to light new problems and to formu- 
late effective methods of solving them. 

Following this program during scarcely three months (July 25, 
1921) of its existence the office of the commissioner of public wel- 
fare has undertaken the work of training physicians and nurses who 
are to carry out the work planned, and who will act as advisers and 
demonstrators of child-welfare activities. 

This office renders financial and technical assistance to private or- 
ganizations. Financial aid is given upon condition that" the institu- 
tion renders a satisfactory evidence that the administration is effi- 
ciently run and that certain amount of their funds are derived from 
private sources. They are also required to submit regularly state- 
ment of account of their income and expenditures, and their institu- 
tions are subject to inspection by representatives of the office of the 



filipijsto appeal for freedom. 



65 



Commissioner of Public Welfare to observe whether their activities 
are effectiveh^ and economically performed. 

(C) PERIODICALS AND LIBRARIES. 

In 1918 there were 114 newspapers and reviews, of which 45 were 
newspapers and 69 reviews, distributed thus: 

In English. 28 

In Spanish 27 

In natiAT tongues 24 

In other hinguages ( 2 Chinese and 1 Japanese) 3 

Bilingual (English-Spanish) 14 

Bilingual (English-Tagalog) . . . _ 2 

Trilingual (English-Spanish-Chinese) 1 

Bilingual (Spanish and. native tongue): 5 in Spanish and Visayan: 2 Spanish- 
Ilocano; 3 Spanish-Tagalog: 1 Spanish-Pangasinan; 1 Spanish-Bicol ; 2 Spanish- 

Cagayan: 1 Spanish-Moro 15 

Total 114 

Twenty- two newspapers and reviews in English and 18 in Spanish 
were published in Manila; 9 of the former (3 in English and 6 in 
Spanish) were dailies. The total circulation of publications amounted 
to 276,560 copies, which represents a rate of 1 copy for 34 inhabitants. 

The following table gives an idea of the results of the census of 
1903 compared with that of 1918: 



English. 

Spanish 

Dialect | 

other languages | 

Bilingual (English-Spanish) | 

Biling-ual (English-native tongue). 



1903 



1918 



Trilingual (English-Spamsh- 
Chinese) 

BiUngual (Spanish-native tongue). 



Total 

Number of copies 

Niunber of inhabitants per copy . . 



1903 



41 i 114 

68,236 276,560 

150 ! 34 



The census of 1903 apportioned one copy of some periodical to each 
150 inhabitants and the census of 1918 one copy to each 34 inhab- 
itants. This result is based on the supposition that all readers 
buy the periodicals read by them, which is not true in the Philip- 
pines. In a house inhabited by one, two, or more families every- 
one reads the periodical of only one subscriber. Moreover, residents 
of a street or a small village read, one after the other, the only peri- 
odical bought in the locality. There is no barber shop, office, or 
store where there can not be found at least one or more periodicals at 
the disposal of the customers. Each is informed of the daily topics 
by those who read them, and groups of neighbors comment and debate 
on these topics. If the newspaper or magazine is written in the 
vernacular, the free reading circle is still greater. The number of 
copies issued by a publication does not indicate the number of its 
readers. Although the rate is 34 inhabitants per copy, there is, as a 
matter of fact, no Filipino, whether or not able to read, who is not 
informed of current events b}^ the press or has, perhaps, had the 
benefit of a debate on current topics. 

H. Doc. 511, 67-1 5 



66 



riLIPIKO APPEAL EOE EEEEDOM. 



PUBLIC LIBRARIES. 



B;^ public libraries are meant those of the insular, provincial, and 
municipal governments, to which the public has more or less access. 
The following comparative table shows their existance in the years 
1903 and 1918 and a specification of the number of volumes in native 
tongues, English, Spanish, and other languages: 



Year. 


Number of 
libraries. 


Number of 

volimies in 

native 

tongues. 


Number of 
English 
volumes. 


Number of 
Spanish 
volumes. 


Number of | 
volumes in | 
other Ian- | Total, 
guages. 1 


1903.. 


12 

sec 


513 
4,330 


1,067 
472, 275 


2,421 
67, 522 


18 1 4,019 
32,015 576,142 


1918 





The difference in the number of libraries shown by the two censuses 
is striking. In 1903 there were only 12 libraries in the entire archi- 
pelago. In Manila there was the American circulating library, 
loimded chiefly for Army people. It has about 10,000 volumes. In 
1907 it was merged with the old museum library. Act No. 2572, 
which provided for the reorganization of the libraries in Manila be- 
longing to the Government, and created by other acts, among them 
Act No. 1935, made it possible for the Philippine Library and Museum 
to report on December 31, 1918, approximately 354,719 volumes in 
Manila and 3,586 in Iloilo. This librar}^ was so well frequented that 
notwithstanding the exodus of many readers, on account of the war, 
its book circulation during 1918, exclusive of that of the legislative 
reference division, amounted to 114,498 volumes. There is but one 
public library, strictly speaking, which is the Philippine Library 
and Museum, but owing to a certain administrative autonomy 
enjoyed by some branches of the insular government, the libraries of 
the supreme court, the bureau of justice, the city fiscal' s ofiice, and 
the bureau of science had to be enumerated separately. The follow- 
ing is a tabulation of the data pertaining to the same : 



Native 
tongues. 



English. 



Total i 2, 793 

Philippine library and museum | 2, 771 

Supreme court 

Attorney general's office i 

Office of the fiscal for the city of Manila ' 

Bureau of science i 22 



378, 390 



293, 251 

11,145 

4,726 

2,074 

67, 194 



Spanish. 



61, 282 



other 
lan- 
guages. 



30, 641 



54, 626 4, 071 

1,895 i 108 

991 

13 
26.449 



310 
3,460 



Total. 



473, 106 



354, 719 

13, 148 

5,717 

2,397 

97, 125 



The number of English volumes surpasses all others; next come 
Spanish volumes, and then volumes ^vritten in other languages. 
The number of volumes written in the native tongues is not even 
one-half of the number of those written in other languages. This is 
not the case, however, with the newsj)apers, of which the greatest 
number is published in Spanish and in the native tongues. The 
libraries of the supreme court, the attorney general, and the city 
fiscal's office do not contain a single volume v^Titten in the ver- 
nacular, and have very few books in other languages. English 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



67 



books make up the bulk of these Hbraries, and Spanish books occupy 
the second place, owing to the fact that some Spanish laws are still 
in force in the islands. A similar proportion exists in the Philippine 
Library and Museum, because of the good Spanish historical works. 
In the library of the bureau of science the volumes written in other 
languages are nine times the number of those written in Spanish, 
since legal and historical Spanish books are of little use in that 
bureau. There the Spanish books in number occupy only the fourth 
place; the first, second, and third places are taken by English, 
German, and French books, respectively. Of the five libraries 
enumerated in Manila, the Philippine Library and Museum is the 
most popular. During the year 1918, 93,805 books were read, of 
which 39,114 were works of fiction and 54,691 miscellaneous books. 

SEMIPUBLIC LIBRARIES. 

Semipublic libraries are the libraries of the bureau of education 
scattered throughout the islands, those of other branches of the in- 
sular government not enumerated above, and those of religious cor- 
porations and civic associations. Unlike the public libraries, the 
semipublic libraries, notwithstanding the fact that the great majority 
of the books of the bureau of education are books in English, show a 
greater number of Spanish volumes. This is due to the fact that in 
Manila alone, out of a total of 325,347 volumes belonging to 65 
semipublic libraries, 55,315 volumes belong to religious and similar 
corporations. Further details about semipublic libraries will be 
found in the following table : 

Semipublic libraries {religious corporations). 





Number 
of libra- 
ries. 


PhiUp- 1 

pine English, 
tongues. 


Other 
Spanish. lan- 
! guages. 


Total. 


Total 


11 


1,141 


5,331 


55,315 


27,993 


89,780 










152 

500 
267 

50 
100 

10 


2,209 
2 


21,991 
8,091 
2,216 
5,570 
7,227 
3,000 
6,500 
720 


11,990 

2,180 

2,640 

3,350 

6,524 

584 

500 

225 


36,342 
10, 281 




Recollect Fathers 


4 910 




1,300 

708 

250 

850 

12 


10,720 


Augustinian Fathers 


14,726 


Paulist Fathers 


3, 884 




7,950 
967 


College of Trebles. . . 







The Provinces of Batangas, Bulacan, Cebu, Ilocos Sur, and Iloilo 
come after Manila in the number of Spanish books. English prevails, 
however, in 29 Provinces out of the 38 enumerated. The semipublic 
libraries, therefore, contain a greater number of books written in 
Spanish, but there is a wider distribution of English books. 

XIII. Economic Conditions. 



The Philippine Islands are essentially an agricultural country. The 
basic element of our economics is therefore the natural resources of 
the islands. In this respect it is most important to the stability of 
our economic conditions that our agricultural land should be evenly 
divided among small landowners. Out of 2.000,000 farms in the 
Philippines 96 per cent are owned by the Filipinos. Eight million of 



68 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



them live on their farms with houses of their own, independent of any 
absentee landlord or foreign masters. Of the urban property 91 per 
cent, consisting of houses and lands, is owned by the Filipinos. Only 
9 per cent is in the hands of foreigners. 

Democracy thrives better where the citizens are owners of the lands 
and houses wherein they live and out of which they earn their living. 

AGRICULTURE. 

The approximate area of the Philippine Islands is 29,629,600 hec- 
tares, of which 4,563,723 are private land, 18,706,093 public forest, 
and 6,356,927 public lands available for homeseekers. The area of 
private land under cultivation in 1920 was 3,276,942 hectares, as com- 
pared with 2,361,483 in 1913, or 38.7 per cent increase. 

The value of the six leading products — rice, corn, sugar, hemp, coco- 
nut, and tobacco — during the last four years has been, in 1917, $122,- 
000,000; 1918, $181,000,000; 1919, $229,300,000; and in 1920, 
$343,500,000. 

While the Philippines will be for a long time an agricultural coun- 
try, it is nevertheless true that modern industrialism and commerce 
are exercising a very strong influence and will eventually make of the 
Philippines an industrial and commercial as well as an agricultural 
country. 

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. 

The chief exports of the Philippines are manufactured articles con- 
stituting 87 per cent, and exports are agricultural products, more or 
less in raw form, constituting 67.5 per cent. The most important 
manufactured articles imported during the year 1921 were iron and 
steel goods, valued at $22,055,000; cotton goods, $18,830,000; food- 
stuffs, including wheat flour, meat, and dairy products, etc., $21,750,- 
000; automobiles and accessories, $4,830,000; mineral oils, $16,- 
900,000. The importation of iron and steel and cotton goods has 
always been on the ascendant, invariably holding the premier position 
in the import trade. The two items alone constitute about 36 per 
cent of the total imports in 1921. With the exception of the year 
1921, when the foreign trade of the Philippines was greatly affected 
by the wave of business depression the world over, the importation 
of other products has shown the same tendency. The most im- 
portant exports were agricultural products, some of which were partly 
manufactured and others in raw form. Among these are sugar, 
valued at $25,000,000; manila hemp, $17,900,000; copra, $13,- 
100,000; copra meal, $600,000; maguey, $670,000; and tobacco 
products, $8,230,000. Recently, however, because of the European 
war, the Philippines began to export manufactured articles, such as 
coconut oil, v/hich in 1921 was valued at $16,000,000, and embroid- 
eries, $5,300,000. 

The values of imports, exports, and total trade of the Philippine 
Islands during the years 1917 to 1920, inclusive, were as follows: 





1917 


1918 


1919 


1920 


Exijorts 


$95,604,306 
65,797,000 


$135, 194, 480 
98, 599, 200 


$113,117,800 
118,639,000 


$151, 123, 850 




149, 438, 280 






Balance 


29,807,306 


36, 595, 280 


(5,521,200) 


1,685,570 







FILIPIlsrO APPEAL FOE FREEDOM. 69 

INDUSTRY. 

The progress attained in the direction of introducing modern equip- 
ment and means for the carrying out of all lines of activities during 
the past few years, such as mechanical equipment for the newly estab- 
lished industries or factories and for agricultural development and 
transportation facilities, is unparalleled in the history of the country. 
The growth of the manufacturing establishments is attested by the 
increase in their number and the value of their products. As com- 
pared with 1903 the number of manufacturing establishments in 1918 
increased 156 per cent and the value of products 754 per cent. The 
industries which received tremendous impulse during the period of our 
prosperity were coconut-oil factories, sugar, rice, and sawmills. Em- 
broidery establishments, which practically did not exist previous to 
the European war, had a total output of $1,250,000 in 1918, the 
annual exports reaching as high as $7,810,000 in 1920. In addition 
to this there are to-day various industries which produce only suffi- 
cient quantities for local needs. There are also modern iron and steel 
foundry plants and boat-buildins: establishments in existence, among 
which are the Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific Co., and the Earnshaws Slip- 
ways & Co. 

FOREIGN SHIPPING. 

The foreign trade of the Philippines since the beginning of American 
occupation has always been carried on vessels of foreign registry, 
British vessels securing the greatest portion up to 1917, and the 
United States vessels substituting British vessels after this year. 

The total entrances from foreign ports in 1921 numbered 871 with 
a total tonnage of 2,646,455, as compared with 992 and 2,755,752, 
respectively, in 1920. The total clearances numbered 887 with a ton- 
nage of 2,725,469, as compared with 995 and 2,771,214, respectively, 
during the preceding year. There are 20 vessels of Philippine reg- 
istry, with a tonnage of 18,250, which plied between Philippine and 
foreign ports. 

INTERISLAND SHIPPING. 

There are at present 162 vessels, with a tonnage of 25,652, and 763 
sailing vessels, with a tonnage of 26,657, engaged in the coastwise 
trade of the Philippines. There are, besides, 1,976 harbor crafts, with 
a tonnage of 40,220, in operation. For runs of average distance the 
vessels most generally used are those ranging from 200 to 500 tons 
net. The larger vessels are used on routes connecting Manila with 
the other large ports, while smaller vessels are used for shorter routes. 

There are over 200 interisland ports in the Philippines, the most 
important of which are Aparri, San Fernando, Iba, Batangas, Cal- 
bayog, Catbalogan, Dumaguete, Gubat, Lucena, Sorsogon, Legaspi, 
Tacloban, Tagbilaran, etc., all of which are conveniently accessible 
from Manila. 

The total entrances of the ports open to foreign shipping only num- 
bered 16,734, with a tonnage of 2,541,288, as compared with 17,011 
and 2,326,849, respectively, in 1920. 



70 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

COMMERCIAL POSSIBILITIES. 

With the increased agricultural production and the consequent 
increase in the wealth of the people it stands to reason that the 
commerce and industry of the country will mtness a corresponding 
growth. The Philippines, because of the strategical location of its 
principal port in the trade routes of the Far East, can serve as a 
convenient distributing center of foreign merchandise in this section 
of the world. 

In common with the other countries, the Philippines is passing 
through a financial and business depression which hitherto has been 
unknown in this country. Both the foreign and domestic trade suf- 
fered a tremendous slump, although it has not been as intense as 
that suffered by other countries. The Philippine foreign commerce 
decreased only 32 per cent, while that of the United States decreased 
about 48 per cent in 1921. Apparently, however, the peak of the 
depression has already been reached and passed and the time is 
near when normal conditions shall again prevail. Now is, therefore, 
the most opportune time to lay plans for the revival and expansion 
of those activities, commercial and industrial, which have been 
greatly affected by the crisis, as well as for those undeveloped indus- 
tries whose products are being extensively consumed in the country, 
but the raw material of which are produced in these islands and 
exported and manufactured abroad. The field, for example, in 
sugar refining is practically untouched. Fish, vegetable, and fruit 
canning are practically unknown; the production of these, not to 
speak of the greater production that would doubtless result through 
the development of the canning industry, would be sufficient to 
maintain in active operation several large canneries. The fishing 
industry, both pearl and food fishing, is still practically undeveloped, 
primitive methods being still generally used. There are several 
other activities which enterprising capital might profitably develop. 

All in all, the opportunities, sounder business opportunities, are in 
prospect, and they are bound to draw enterprising capital to the 
islands. Large tracts of virgin lands are still untouched by the 
plow, wide stretches of grassy lands and hillsides are awaiting the 
tread of live stock and other animals, and in our mountains are 
treasiu-ed valuable minerals, such as gold, iron, silver, coal, and 
various other precious stones, all awaiting the magic touch of enter- 
prise and capital. 

XIV. Financial Status of t^he Government. 

Nothing has been so \\ddely misunderstood as the supposed finan- 
cial collapse of the Philippine government. The Philippine govern- 
ment to-day as a distinct institution is on as solid a financial basis as 
any government in the world. It is self-supporting, its taxation is 
adequate to its needs, the per capita tax of the people is low. In 
fact, the Wood-Forbes report states that '^the Filipinos bear a 
smaller burden of taxation than the natives of Great Britain, United 
States, Japan, Argentina, and Brazil." 

In spite of the economic crisis, in spite of the financial troubles 
common the world over, in spite of the reductions in revenues suffered 
during last year, the present year, 1922, was presented A^th an aggre- 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



71 



gate surplus of approximately $7,000,000 in the central and provin- 
cial treasuries of the Philippine Islands. Both the central and local 
governments are on a good, sound financial basis. The following 
financial statement is self-explanatory: 

Financial statement of the insular government. 





1918 


1919 


1920 


Revenue from taxation 


F44,559,229.56 

3, 163, 181, 53 

20,888,353.84 

79,340.20 


r45,229,969.10 

3,706,882.42 

30, 417, 127. 55 

332,944.13 


F53,144,506. 72 


Incidental I'eyenue 


4,977,79.3.60 

40,822,639.41 

459, 972. 80 


Earnings and other credits 








Income 


68,690,105.13 
24,404,683.03 


79,686,923.20 
35,598,744.53 


99,404,912.53 

28,543,078.35 






Total budget credits 


93,094,788.16 
57,496,043.63 


115,285,667.73 
86,742,589.38 


127,947,990.88 


Expenditure during the year 


84. 010. 278. 54 






Surplus at the end of the year 


35,598 744.53 ! 28 .543.078.35 43 937 712.34 











The auditor's accounts for 1921 are not yet closed. 

Budget of the government of the Philippine Islands for the 



year 1922. 





1922 (estimated). 


1921 (estimated). 


1920 (actual). 


RECAPITULATION. 

Income 


F53, 051, 435. 00 


P96,683,797.12 


F76,723 421.65 






Revenue from taxation 


42,867,320.00 
2, 120, 000. 00 
18,064,115.00 


47,235,557.12 

2, 316, 620. 00 

47, 131, 620. 00 


53,144,506.72 


■ Incidental revenue 


4,977,793.60 
IS 601 121.33 


Earnings and other credits. 






Current surplus at the beginning of the year 


11,964,152.00 


27. 576, 552. 49 


24,397,265.14 


Total available for expenditures 


75, 015, 587. 00 


124, 260, 349. 61 


101,120.686.79 






Expenditiues 


72,538,593.00 


97,557,329.75 


73,544,134.30 




Expense of revenue collection 


1,564,726.00 

8,981,853.00 
5, 189, 878. 00 
4,995,090.00 
9,284.643.00 
8,818,029.00 
8, 740, 857. 00 
17,883,667.00 
500, 000. 00 
2, 000, 000. 00 
4.579,850.00 


1 708 824. 18 


I H'?S 700 8C> 


Operating expense of commercial and indus- 
trial imits 


9,561,198.99 ! 9.962,919.02 
3 713 774 47 i "^ 510 007 47 


Public debt 


General administration 


5i080',962.89 1 4,'952,'C90. 59 
9,853,790.78 ; 9.663, ,514.65 
8,883,188.07 | 8,927,. 541. 70 
9 936 029.50 ' 9 48:3 122 35 


Protective service 


Social improvement 


Economic development 


Aid to local governments 


13,169,246.00 ' is! 446! 137. 63 
600 000. 00 1 682 598. 53 


Retirement gratuities, act 25S9 


Emergencv service 


446 512. 87 443 435 48 


Outlays and investments 


34, 603' 802. 00 11,849^057.06 


Current surplus at the end of the year 


2, 476, 994. 00 


26,703,019.86 27,576,552.49 


Deduct 




14, 738, 867. 86 










Appropriation balances for public works. . 




9. 738, 867. 21 
5, 000. 000. 65 




Cadastral accounts receivable 












Current unappropriated surplus at the end of the 
year 




11,964,1.52.00 











PHILIPPIXE DEBT. 



The public indebtedness of the Philippine Government has been 
contracted in pursuance of special acts of the Philippine Commis- 
sion or, since its creation, of the Philippine Legislature. Such legis- 
lation has been under the authorit}' of acts of Congress, which from 
time to time fixed the limit indebtedness of the Philippine Govern- 



72 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

ment or have authorized the contractmg of indebtedness for specific 
purpose within amounts fixed. 

By an act of Congress approved July 1, 1902, and act 1034 of the 
PhiHppine Commission, the Phihppine Government issued $7,000,000 
of bonds to purchase the friar lands. 

By an act of Congress approved February 6, 1905. and acts 1301, 
1444, and 1915 of the PhiHppine Commission and Legislature, the 
Philippine Government contracted between 1905 and 1909 an indebt- 
edness of $5,000,000 for public works. 

The total indebtedness of the Philippine Government, therefore, on 
the passage of the organic act approved August 29, 1916, was $12,000,- 
000, including the $7,000,000 indebtedness for the purchase of the 
friar lands. 

By the organic act referred to the limit of the public debt of the 
Philippine Government, exclusive of the friar-land bonds, was fixed at 
$15,000,000. 

Thereafter, by act 2615, the Phihppine Govermnent issued $4,000,- 
000 of bonds for the purchase of the Manila Railroad Co., and by act 
2908 issued in 1920 $6,000,000 of bonds for the improvement of the 
port of Manila. With the issuance of these $6,000,000 of bonds, the 
limit of the public debt as fixed by the organic act was reached and 
there was outstanding, including the $7,000,000 of friar-land bonds, 
a total indebtedness of $22,000,000. 

Congress, by the act of July 21, 1921, amended the organic act by 
increasing the limit of indebtedness to $30,000,000, exclusive of the 
friar-land bonds. 

Under authority of an act of the Philippine Legislature there was 
thereafter issued $10,000,000 of irrigation bonds, and the Philippine 
Legislature has now authorized, by act 2999, the issuance of $5,000,000 
to protect the financial interests of the Government. So that the 
limit of indebtedness as fixed by the act of July 21, 1921, has now been 
reached, and the total bonded indebtedness of the Philippine Govern- 
ment outstanding is $30,000,000, plus the $7,000,000 of friar-land 
bonds. 

By an act of Congress approved May 31, 1922, the limit of indebted- 
ness of the Philippine Government has been fixed at 10 per cent of the 
aggregate tax valuation of its real property. On the basis of the last 
assessment, this would fix the limit of indebtedness of the central 
government at about $74,000,000. 

The urgent necessity of increasing the limit at this time arises from 
the fact that the Philippine Government is not in a position to main- 
tain the parity of its currenc3r with the gold standard fixed b)' law. 
The Philippine Government had, on October 31, 1921, on deposit with 
the Philippine National Bank $26,251,607.75, which it is unable to 
withdrav^^ from the bank or apply to the purposes for which that fund 
was acquired. How much of this will ultimately be recovered or the 
dates of recovery can not at this time be stated with certaintv. The 
deposits with the bank on October 31, 1920, were $45,220,039.^35. Of 
this amount, $11,457,890 were invested in stock of the bank with a 
view of strengthening its position. This would mean that in one year 
the government had withdrawn from the bank $7,510,451.59. The 
conclusion should not, however, be drawn that a similar amount would 
be recoA^ered in the next year, for the reason that in the past year a 
considerable amount in private deposits has been withdrawn from the 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOE FEEEDOM. 73 

bank, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the bank increased in 
circulation by $6,700,000. 

The situation, then, is that the Phihppine Government has on 
deposit with the Phihppine National Bank $26,000,000. This includes 
a large part of the currency reserve fund which is used to maintain the 
parity of the Philippine currenc}' with the gold standard. It includes 
a part of the proceeds of bond sales for public works and other funds 
of the Philippine Government, including the funds for general pur- 
poses. If this money were at this time available the immediate neces- 
sity of contracting further indebtedness would not appear. This 
deposit, however, is not in any way available to the government. 
The amount which the government recovered in the past year it will 
probably not be able to recover in the present year. 

The government, therefore, is confronted with the necessity of 
immediately reducing its expenses below its revenues, which it has 
attempted to do but which it was unable to do in the radical manner 
that would be necessary if, in addition to operating the government, 
the trust funds of the government were to be placed in a legal posi- 
tion from these savings. The government, therefore, finds itself in 
the necessity, if it is to perform the dut}^ of maintaining the parity of 
its currency with the standard fixed by law, and if it is to carry on 
the absolutely necessary public works, of increasing its indebtedness. 

GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS. 

Economic progress in the Philippine Islands and the pressure of 
public opinion compelled the Philippine government to organize and 
engage in certain lines of business of national importance that private 
initiative and capital had failed to develop. There are now four 
government-owned enterprises in addition to those which have been 
always under government direction since the American administra- 
tion in the Pliilippine Islands — the Philippine National Bank, the 
Manila Railroad, the National Coal Co., and the National Develop- 
ment Co. 

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK. 

There were in 1915 five banking institutions handling the Philip- 
pine government's deposits at a low rate of interest. These banks 
m_ade little or no investment in the islands. They dealt almost ex- 
clusively with export and import trade. American and Philippine 
business men in other lines and the farmers practically had no access 
to them. The Philippine National Bank, much to the displeasure of 
competitive institutions already in the field, was organized. From 
a modest beginning the bank grew rapidly during prosperous times. 
But the depression following the war caught the bank unprepared 
for such emergencies. Naturally the people of the Philippine Islands 
deeply regret that the institution could not escape the effects of 
world-wide financial disturbance. 

There stands out in bold relief, however, the constructive service 
the bank has rendered the community, notably the financing of 
Liberty loans, the handling of the sale of alien property, the financial 
assistance extended in time of extreme needs to two banks doing 
business in the Philippine Islands, the financing of sugar centrals and 
farmers, and the extension of banking facilities to merchants and 



74 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

manufacturers. The Philippine people have always regarded the 
bank as a necessary means for the economic development of the 
islands, and therefore they desire to increase, or at least maintain, 
the institution to carry out the purposes for which it was originally 
organized. As to the present condition of the bank, the Wood- 
Forbes mission report says '^* * * the affairs of the bank are in 
a fair way to be put on a sound footing." 

MANILA RAILROAD. 

Government ownership of railroads is a rule in all the neighboring 
countries of the Philippines with the exception of China, which is now 
trying to get back the concessions granted to foreign capital. How- 
ever, the principal motive that impelled the Philippine government 
to buy the Manila Railroad from the English owners was that the 
company, in spite of the facilities extended by the government, could 
no longer operate the line profitably. This failure imposed a heavy 
burden on the taxpayers in the way of payment for interest on rail- 
road bonds guaranteed by the government from the early days of 
American administration. 

From 1914 to 1916 the aggregate net deficit of the company was 
about $600,000. Under government management the following re- 
sults have been obtained: The gain in 1917 was $400,000; in 1918, 
$130,000; in 1919, $190,000; in 1920, $12,000; and in 1921, $148,000; 
and the government has not been called upon to pay the bond interest. 

NATIONAL COAL CO. 

During the war the coal shortage was one of the great problems the 
government had to solve. The Philippine Islands are rich in coal 
fields, but no private capital was invested in their exploitation. The 
Philippine Legislature therefore chartered the National Coal Co. and 
supplied it with a capital of $1,700,000. The company is now ready 
to furnish at least the coal needed by the government, which requires 
about 120,000 tons, heretofore imported from foreign countries. 

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CO. 

The company was organized for the purpose of financing isolated 
enterprises that the government may desire to establish for the general 
welfare of the country. 

XV. Elections. 

The elections in the Philippines have always been an interesting 
and veritable school of political education. Although, strictly 
speaking, extensive suffrage was implanted in the Philippines only 
smce American occupation, the Filipino people have shown during 
this short period constant and convincing proof of political capacity. 
The paramount issue in the election of 1907, which inaugurated the 
Philippine Assembly, was the ultimate status of the Philippines. 
The question to be decided was whether, upon the surrender of the 
Filipinos in arms and the establishment of peace under a more liberal 
and democratic rule, the Filipino people should still aspire and work 



FELIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 75 

for their independence. There were two schools of thought at that 
time; one favored annexation to the United States, or at the most 
a remote independence, and the other was the immediate independ- 
ence of the islands. The result of the elections proved that those who 
advocated immediate independence formed an immense majority 
of the people, although not yet the entire people. The same issue 
was presented to the people at all subsequent elections, and every 
time the advocates of immediate independence gained ground, 
until, finding that public opinion was against them, the members of 
the party which advocated annexation or remote independence had 
to dissolve their party and aligned themselves with those who advo- 
cated immediate independence. The old annexationists, or federal- 
ists, were highly educated men of the greatest prestige, but the 
people disregarded their personal qualities, for they knew that the 
elections were being held to decide issues and principles, not per- 
sonalities. 

Once the question of principles was settled, the peoj)le have always 
shown practical sense in electing experienced or highly educated 
men to posts in the national legislature. When the first Philippine 
Assembly was convened in 1907, it was noticeable that the choice of 
the people fell upon those who had previously distinguished them- 
selves as provincial governors and those who because of their academic 
training could best undertake the legislative work. This is the 
reason why among members of the lower house there has always 
been a large proportion of people with academic training or pursuing 
semipublic activities, such as practicing lawyers and newspaper 
men. When the elective senate was established six years ago, the 
people again manifested that sound practical sense by sending to the 
higher house in preference to others those who had acquired previous 
legislative experience in the Philippine Assembly. In this way the 
task of legislation has been given to men of ability and experience. 
Both in political campaigns and in the deliberation of the legislature 
popular public opinion always distinguished demagogic from states- 
manly conduct. The people have always repudiated the destruc- 
tive factors, with the result noted by friends and foes alike that our 
legislature has at all times exemplified a sound and judicious sense. 
As a former Governor General has said, in the Philippine Legislature 
''graft, jobbery, logrolling, cheap politics, selfish localism, cynical 
opportunism, and hyprocrisy have been practically unknown." A 
spirit of tolerance has characterized election campaigns. Order has 
been kept in the heat of political struggles. While in other coun- 
tries the army has often been resorted to for the maintenance of 
peace, in the Philippines the mere presence of local and insular 
police has always been sufficient to insure public tranquillity. After 
the elections in 1919 Acting Governor General Yeater, who had 
personally followed the various movements of the campaign, gave 
out the following statement : 

By taking the election as a whole, I consider it entirely creditable to the Philip- 
pine people, and I believe that no shortcomings or improper conduct in receiving and 
delivering the votes will exceed those ordinarily committed in other free countries. 

We do not, however, mean to insinuate that elections in the Philip- 
pines have been conducted as angels would conduct such elections-. 
As in other parts, frauds and other electoral abuses have been com- 
mitted, but the opposition party and the press got busy denouncing 



76 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

them and the government at once undertook an energetic campaign 
for clean elections^ prosecuted the culprits, and later on revised the 
present electoral law. 

Our electoral law was approved in 1907 by the former Philippine 
commission composed mostly of Americans. It was later thought 
that election frauds were committed partly because of the defects of 
the law, such as the relatively light penalty given to violators, and also 
because election officers could easily be converted into political instru- 
ments of the party in power. The revision of the electoral law has 
been made with the aid of the opposition, and is intended to remedy 
in so far as possible the deficiencies found in the law and in actual 
practice. The government is at present using all means necessary 
to secure clean elections and to enforce the provisions of the electoral 
law in a way agreeable to all political parties. 

The total number of electors registered in the election of June 3, 
1919, was 717;295 and the votes cast was 672,125, which is a very 
fine percentage even when compared to the interest in elections shown 
m other countries. In the elections of 1912, 248,154 voters registered, 
of which 235,789 voted. Of the number of voters registered in 1919 
407,346 possessed educational qualifications, while only 81,916 were 
educationally qualified in 1912. It should be noted that the Philip- 
pine voters must have either propert}^ or educational qualifications, so 
that these figures show the progress of the people in political matters 
and in education in general during the last few years. For the elec- 
tions of June of this 3^ear (1922) there were 824,058 voters registered. 

The minority party has always accepted the decision of the ma- 
jority, unless it thinks that the election has been vitiated by some 
illegal act, in which case it takes the matter up with the courts for 
decision. We have never followed the practice of revolutionary coim- 
tries where defeated minorities take the law in their own hands or 
use violence against the triumphant party, or utilize every other 
means to hinder the working of the government. The following, 
figures speak for themselves : 





1907 


1909 


1912 

451 

210 

25 


1916 


1919 


Protests registered... . 


178 
89 ! 
26 ! 

1 


142 
51 

17 


520 
341 
80 


467 


Protests disinis'^ed 


195 




24 







In interpreting the foregoing figures it should be noted that there 
are nearly 900 municipalities in the Philippines, and that ever}" 
municipality at every general election votes on a senator, a repre- 
sentative, a governor, two members of the provincial board, a munic- 
ipal president, a municipal vice president, and from 7 to 18 coun- 
cilors, depending upon the class of the municipality. Any one of 
these officials can be made the subject of an electoral protest. The 
number of protests registered, the number of protests dismissed, 
and, above all, the number of elections annulled will show" beyond 
the peradventure of a doubt that the elections in the Philippines 
have been up to the present a regular and sane agency of repre- 
sentative democracv. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



77 



XVI. The Non-Christian People. 

Tlie non-Christian inhabitants (Mohammedans and Pagans) of the 
Phihppine Islands are distributed in the nine special organized Prov- 
inces under the jurisdiction of the so-called bureau of non-Christian 
tribes, namely, Agusan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Sulu, 
and Zamboanga, of the former department of Mindanao and Sulu, 
and the Mountain Province and Nueva Vizcaya of northern Luzon. 
The following table shows the area in square kilometers of each 
of the nine Provinces : 

Square kilonieters. 

Agusan 11, 121 

Bukidnon 10, 026 

Cotabato 24, 916 

Davao 19, 389 

Lanao 6, 317 

Mountain Province 13, 971 

Nueva Vizcava 9, 143 

Sulu ' 2, 802 

Zamboanga 16, 532 

The following table shows the present approximate population of 
Christian and non-Christian peoples as estimated by the governors of 
the four Provinces : 



Province. 


Christian. 


Moham- 
medan. 


Pagan. 


Total. 


Percentage 

of non- 
Christian. 


Agusan 


41, 592 

1,200 

21,391 

68, 979 




7,446 
35, 700 
li;386 
45,325 


49, 038 
41,707 
169, 191 
119, 304 


1.1. 19 


Bukidnon. 


4,807 

136, 414 

5,000 


97.12 


Cotabato 


87.36 


Davao 


42.18 







Although the non-Christian inhabitants of the Philippines are to be 
fomid not only in Mindanao and Sulu but also in northern Luzon, the 
Moros of Mindanao and Sulu form the great majority of them and 
present the greatest problem for the government. We shall there- 
fore deal mostly with the non-Christian peoples of Mindanao and 
Sulu. The government of Mindanao and Sulu from 1903 to 1913 
was imder the control of the military authorities. In 1914 it was 
turned over to the civil authorities. During the military period the 
so-called Moro Province was organized, which comprised practically 
what is to-day known as Mindanao and Sulu. The most important 
work of the military period was the pacification of the Provinces and 
the recognition of American sovereignty. This was the first step 
before the development of agriculture, industry, commerce, educa- 
tion, and shipping could be begun. In 1911 a general disarmament 
was ordered among the Moros, and this order met some resistance in 
Sulu and Lanao. Hence punitive expeditions by military and con- 
stabulary authorities had to be undertaken, and skirmishes and bat- 
tles like those at Mount Da jo and Mount Ba^sak were fought. The 
work of the military authorities to bring about peace can not be 
underestimated. They prepared the way for the work of reconstruc- 
tion, which fell upon the civil authorities in 1914 up to the present 
time. It would be, however, misleading to say that the militaiy 
authorities limited their work to the establishment of peace alone. 
In reality they initiated some of the great activities of government, 



78 EILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

which were later on continued in gigantic proportion, especially pub- 
lic works and public education. They established public dispensa- 
ries even in the most remote parts of the Province. They built roads 
to connect distant places. 

The first task oi the civil authorities in 1914 was to establish a 
departmental government, with almost a free hand in dealing with 
local affairs. It was subdivided into subprovinces for the purpose of 
local administration. Later on the department was abolished and 
the subprovinces were declared Provinces. The}^ were placed, like 
the regular Provinces, under the direct supervision of the department 
of the interior through the bureau of non-Christian tribes. Up to 
very recently all the provincial governors were appointed by the Gov- 
ernor General, and, together with the secretary- treasurer and a third 
member elected by the councilors of the municipalities, they form the 
provincial council of each Province. All the appointed provincial 
governors except one are Filipinos. In the election held June 6, 1922, 
four of the seven Provinces of Mindanao and Sulu elected their pro- 
vincial governors. The representatives and Senators representing 
the non-Christian parts of the Philippines are also Filipinos. Of 
these one senator and three representatives profess the Mohammedan 
religion. 

The civil government thus established completed the work of bring- 
ing about peace which was initiated by the military authorities. In 
1913 the Sultan of Sulu, who had theretofore enjoyed religious and 
civil prerogatives, renounced his prerogatives in favor of the govern- 
ment of the Philippine Islands. Peace and order was firmly estab- 
lished. The campaign of education and assimilation had begun. 
Wherever the good offices of the civil government did not have the 
desired effect the firm hand of the law reached out to enforce order 
and capture recalcitrants. From January 1,' 1914, to December 31, 
1916, the civil government captured 1,024 firearms. The year 1916 
may be considered as a historic one in the annals of Mindanao and Sulu, 
for it marks the complete elimination of all outlaws and the extension 
of government control to all Mohammedan territory. In 1917 
practically every soldier of the Federal Army, except a small detach- 
ment in Zamboanga, was taken away, and yet the local police was 
able to maintain order and peace. The progress brought about since 
the civil administration is indeed great. It would take a big volume 
to enumerate in detail. For this work the Christian Filipinos have 
given money and men, so as to civilize their non-Christian brothers 
and bring them up to their own level. Hundreds of thousands of 
pesos taken from the Christian pockets have been yearly sent to Min- 
danao and Sulu. On the other hand, the non-Christian people have 
shown their appreciation of the benefits that are being extended to 
them by their Christian brothers. At the present time the relations 
between Christian and non-Christian are most cordial. National sen- 
timent in that part of the Philippines is almost as strong as in the 
Christian Provinces. 

We shall cite a few figures showing the progress realized in the non- 
Christian part of Mindanao and Sulu since control was given to the 
Christian Fihpinos. Under the designation of "Public instruction" 
the following table shows the number of schools in operation by year, 
the number of teachers, and the enrollment from 1914 to 1921. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



79 



Year. 


Number 
of schools 
in opera- 
tion. 


Number 

of 
teachers. 


Enroll- 
ment. 


Year. 


Number 
of schools 
in opera- 
tion. 


Number 
of 

teachers. 


Enroll- 
ment. 


1914 


157 


311 
373 

613 


14,800 
16,019 

25, 167 


1918 


372 
468 
606 
690 


772 
1,049 
1,261 
1,452 


32,438 
41, 179 
53,096 
61, 187 


1915 


180 


1919 


1916 ! (1) 

1917 292 


1920 . . 


1921 











No data available. 



The following comparative table shows the progress of the schools 
in Mindanao-Sulu covering the period from the year 1913 to 1921. 
Attention is invited to the fact that enrollment in 1913 almost 
entirely represented Christians, while the great increase noted in 
1921 represents Mohammedan and pagan children: 





Annual enrollment. 


Number of schools. 


Numhcr of teachers. 


Province. 


March, 
1913. 


December, 
1921. 


March, 
1913. 


December, 
1921. 


March, 
1913. 


December, 
1921. 


Agusan 

Bukidnon 

Cotabato 

Davao 

Lanao 

Sulu 


3,461 
1,488 
425 
2,079 
1,104 
1,044 
2,916 


8,462 
7,162 
9,667 
7,820 
7,004 
9,342 
11,730 


34 
23 

5 
20 

9 
10 
28 


89 

82 

5 

130 
70 
69 

116 


52 
31 
11 
31 
14 
14 
46 


188 
151 
250 
194 
174 
198 
297 






Total 


12,617 


61, 187 


129 


690 


199 


1 452 







An important phase of the work of public instruction in Mindanao- 
Sulu is the compulsory school attendance for boys and girls which 
was initiated some time ago. At first the old Mohammedan head- 
men and panditas openly pronounced themselves in opposition to 
the attendance of their children in government schools, considering 
this measure as a violation of the agreement into which the govern- 
ment had entered with them with respect to their religion, habits, 
and customs. Through the tact of school authorities and coopera- 
tion of provincial and municipal and other interested authorities, 
those difficulties have been solved to the extent of bringing about 
entirely satisfactory results. The table given above speaks more 
eloquently than words can in this respect. 

In agriculture special attention has been paid to the cultivation of 
food products. Agricultural colonies have been established in Cota- 
bato so as to unite Christian and Mohammedan Filipinos and to 
increase the production of rice and other food products. 

The following comparative table shows in a comprehensive form 
the typical activities of the colonies as to the production of food 
supply: 



Total area imder cultivation (Ha) 

Palay planted (Ha) 

Com planted (Ha) 

Coconuts planted 

Palay harvested ( Cavan) 

Corn harvested (Cavan) 

Peanuts planted (Ha) 

Camotes planted (Ha) 

Nvunber of colonists including men, women, 
and children 



1915 


1917 


1919 


1920 


2,616 


2,563 


2,262.2 


2, 269. 12 


1,616 


1,037 


509 


533. 83 


1,134 


898 


1, 173. 1 


1, 312. 98 


13,232 


7,003 


4,2.31 


6,441 


20, 715 


11,439 


2,626.28 


1,035.5 


8,417 


6,924 


6,449.36 


14,298.22 


30 


15 


11.3 


31.35 


57 


22 


42.16 


48.33 


5,044 


5,402 


5,632 


5,632 



1921 

2,073.05 

531. 35 

1, 181. &4 

21, 190 

3, 787. 20 

10, 856. 36 

14.90 

17.22 

6,012 



80 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 



It will be noted from the above that the number of hectares culti- 
vated for the crops has decreased. This difference is due to the 
disappointment brought about by the failure to realize bigger har- 
vests caused by floods and locusts. On the other hand, there is a 
notable increase in the output for rice and corn. 

Another important result worthy of being stated is the success at- 
tained in the partial relief of densely populated Provinces like Cebu 
and Ilocos Provinces. The sparsely populated and potentially 
wealthy Province of Cotabato. where the colonists are located, the 
surplus population of those Provinces have found Cotabato to be an 
excellent place, where they may realize their ambitions for owner- 
ship of land and more ample rewards for their labor. 

In the branch of permanent improvements and public works we 
can say that good roads and trails, potable water supplies, port im- 
provements and landing facilities, construction of telephones, and 
construction of public buildings have received special attention. 
The following table shows the strides made in this regard, notwith- 
standing the inadequacy of local revenues and insufficient insular aid: 



Year. 


First class. 


Second 
class. 


Third 
class. 


Trails. 


Tele- 
phones. 


1914 


Kilometers. 
None. 


Kilometers. 
90 


Kilometers. 
199 

285.2 
340. 3 

2, 327. 7 
209. 5 
220 
257. 2 


Kilometers. 
2,400 
2,437 
2,515 
(^) 

1,898.3 
2; 075. 7 
2, 000 
1,442.7 


Kilometers 

0) 


1915 


65.9 i 114.9 


(1) 


1916 


94.9 

143. 5 
143. 5 
154 


87.2 

184.5 
234.7 
190 
141.4 


567 


1917 


(1) 


1918 


(^) 


1919 


1,381.6 


1920 


1,381.6 


1921 


1,381.6 











1 No data available. 

In the health service there has been made the most gratifying 
advance by the establishment of new hospitals and field dispensary 
stations, the former under the immediate charge of qualified physi- 
cians and surgeons and the latter in charge of graduate nurses or 
practicantes. Government hospitals are now in operation at the 
provincial capitals of Agusan, Cotabato, Davao, Mountain Province, 
Lanao, Sulu, and Zamboanga. At dispensaries in public schools at 
points where no field dispensaries are located the teachers are 
instructed in the use of and supplied with medicines, supplies, etc., 
which may safely be intrusted to them for use in relieving ailments, 
physical ills, and injuries, which, in the absence of skilled medical 
and surgical assistance, they should undertake to relieve. While 
Mohammedans and pagans were at first suspicious and unwilling to 
enter hospitals for medical or surgical treatment, this attitude has 
rapidly changed to one of popular acceptance and appreciation of 
hospital facilities, even to the surprising degree that women of good 
families now seek admission. In this connection it may be stated 
that medical officers, trained nurses, and practicantes have gone to 
the most remote places and localities in the performance of their 
duties, and ordinarily without guards or companions. Dispensaries 
have been and are being established, conducted successfully by 
graduate nurses and practicantes at many points away from Army 
garrisons or constabulary stations. In no instance has the public- 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 81 

health personnel been subjected to violence, or even threats, from 
the people among whom they work. Mohammedan and pagan com- 
munities have voluntarily contributed labor and materials of local 
production for the estabhshment of dispensary stations. 

The importance and value of the work of the public-health per- 
sonnel during the past few 3?-ears can not be exaggerated when 
viewed not only from the standpoint of medical and surgical relief 
but from all other significant points, and especially that of the 
establishment of amicable contact and control by the government 
over the Mohammedan and pagan communities. 

To combat and so far as possible eradicate the prevalence of water- 
borne diseases, such as dysentery, typhoid, malaria, etc., special 
attention has been directed to the improvem.ent of water supplies. 

There were in 1914, 47 dispensaries in operation, 55 in 1915, 86 
in 1916, 108 in 1917, 88 in 1918, and 103 in 1919, 1920, and 1921. 

XVII. The Filipinos as Legislators. 

BRIEF CRITICAL STUDY OF THE LAW^S PASSED BY THE PHILIPPINE 
LEGISLATURE SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN 1907. 

The Philippine Legislature began its life with the inauguration of 
the Philippine Assembly on October 16, 1907. Hitherto all legis- 
lative powers in the Philippines were in the hands of the Philippine 
Commission, the members of which were appointed by the President 
of the LTnited States with the consent of the American Senate. With 
the inauguration of the Philippine Assembly the Philippine Commis- 
sion became the upper house and the Philippine Assembly the lower 
house of the Philippine Legislature. The legislature was given com- 
plete legislative povv^ers over the parts of the Philippines inhabited by 
the Christian peoples. The other parts of the Philippines, or those 
inhabited by the Moros and other non-Christian peoples, remained 
under the exclusive legislative control of the Philippine Commission 
until 1916, when, with the passage of the Jones law, the Philippine 
Legislature secured control over all Philippine territories. 

In the study of the laws passed by the Philippine Legislature we 
have for convenience divided the 14 years of legislative life into three 
periods. The first period extends from October 16, 1907, to October 
16, 1913. During this time there were still a majority of Americans 
in the upper house, while the Philippine Assembly was entirely in the 
hands of the Filipinos. The second period extends from October 16, 
1913, to October 16, 1916. During this time the Filipinos had already 
a majority in the upper house, or Philippine Commission; hence they 
had a decisive voice in legislation. The members of the Philippine 
Commission, however, continued to be appointed by the President 
of the United States and were not elected by the people. The third 
period comprises all the time since the enactment of the Jones law, 
from October 16, 1916, to October, 1921. Legislation at this period 
has been in the hands of an elected Philippine Legislature, composed 
of the senate and house of representatives. 

For the purposes of classifying the laws the following topics have 
been used: (1) Public instruction; (2) development of agriculture and 
natural resources ; (3) promotion of commerce and industry; (4) public 

H. Doc. 511, 67-4 6 



82 



FILIPII^O APPEAL FOE PREEDOM. 



health; (5) charity and pubHc welfare; (6) finance (dealing \vith appro- 
priations for the support of the government or matters connected 
with bonds) ; (7) administration (dealing with reforms and changes 
in the administration of the government) ; (8) private law (dealing 
generally wath amendments to the civil code, penal code, etc.) ; (9) 
judicial reforms (including reforms of judicial proceedings) ; (10) 
labor; (11) franchises (charters given to private persons and corpora- 
tions) ; (12) mercantile regulations (dealing mth regulations of cor- 
porations, firms, etc.); (13) public works and improvements; (14) 
miscellaneous laws 

The following table shows the laws passed during the three periods 
of legislation classified under the foregoing topics ; 

Table of laws passed by the Philippine Legislature since October 16, 1907 , to March, 1921. 



Period. 


1 

.2 

1 


1! 


1 . 

fa 


o 

is 

3 


Is 


1 


1 

'3 

1 


> 


o 

2 
la 


1 


o 
(A 


t. 


1 

o 

3 


1 






Pk 


< 


o 


Ph 


Oft 


^ 


< 


^ 


iA 


§ 


P4 


i 


^ 


First period 


61 


38 


13 


?,0 


13 


58 


175 


13 


26 


18 


5 


14 


21 


49 


524 


Second period 


22 


36 


16 


18 


4 


45 


116 


6 


18 


21 


5 


8 


22 


24 


363 


Third period 


14 


27 


12 


17 


6 


46 


78 


6 


13 


41 




9 


8 


27 


304 


Total 


. 


101 


41 55 

j 


23 


149 


371 


25 


57 


80 


10 


31 


51 


100 


1,191 



FIRST PERIOD. 

[October 16, 1907 to October 16, 1913.] 

Public instruction : The first period is notable for the support that 
the legislature gave to education. The first act passed by the Phil- 
ippine Legislature was an educational measure of the highest import. 
It provided for an appropriation of ^1,000,000 for the construction 
of schools in the barrios. It was during this period also that the 
University of the Philippines was founded (act 1870).^ 

Development of agriculture and natural resources : Notable among 
the acts passed during this period for the development of agriculture 
and natural resources are; Act 1865, establishing an agricultural bank 
and appropriating the sum of ^1,000,000 for its capital; act 1827, 

1 other educational measui-es were: Act No. 1813, authorizing the Governor General to convey, under 
certain conditions and restrictions, insular property to Provinces and municipalities of the Philippines 
to be used for public-school purposes; act No. 1829, providing for popular civico-educational lectures in 
the municipalities, and principally in the barrios of the Philippines; act No. 1849, providing for the estab- 
lishment of a public Ubrary to be known as "The Phihppine PubUc Library," making suitable appro- 
priations therefor; act No. 1857, authorizing the creation of special classes of superior instruction for 
municipal teachers and appropriating the sum of F50,000 for the purpose; act No. 1858, amending section 
40 of act No. 82 and providing for special training for teaching; act No. 1866, appropriating the sum of 
P75,000 for salaries of teachers in barrio schools when estabhshed under certain conditions; act No. 1871, 
making available for expenditure during the fiscal year 1909 and thereafter the balance remaining from 
funds appropriated by act No. 1632 for examinations for scholarships in the Philippine Medical School; act 
No. 1907, providing for the appropriation of the sum of F2,000 out of the insular funds to assist the munici- 
pality of Imus, Province of Cavite, in the construction of a bioilding for an intermediate school; act No. 
1914, amending act No. 1801, entitled "An act providing for an appropriation of !P1,000,000 for the con- 
struction of barrio schools," by reducing the required school attendance and providing that buildings 
shall be erected under rules and regulations prescribed by the secretary of public instruction; act No. 
1918, amending act No. 74, by making women eUgible as members of the local school board and providing 
that two positions at least shall be held by women; act No. 1924, extending the benefits of act No. 1857 
to male and female teachers of municipalities and townships inhabited by Christian tribes in Mindoro 
and Palawan and in the subclasses for training in nursing in the Philippine Normal School, and appro- 
priating the sum of F20,000 for such purpose; act No. 1935, providing for the consolidation of aU libraries 
belonging to any branch of the Philippine insular government for the creation of the Phihppine Library, 
and for the maintenance and regulation of the same; act No. 1938, authorizing the appointment of certain 
high-schoolstudentsasgovernment pupils while pursuing a course of training for teaching, and author- 
izing expenditures for such pupils from funds designated by section 26 of act No. 1761, as amended. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 83 

appropriating the sum of ^100,000 to be expended in the discretion 
oi the bureau of agriculture, under the supervision of the secretary 
of the interior, for the purpose of combating and exterminating cattle 
diseases in the islands; act 2226, establishing agricultural stations; 
and act 2229 for the improvement of the cultivation of tobacco. 

Promotion of commerce and industries: No great legislation has 
been enacted for commerce and industry. The last two periods paid 
greater attention to this subject. One interesting law that was 
passed was act 1838, granting a prize of jP 15,000 to the inventor of 
an incombustible roof to substitute nip a and creating a technical 
board to pass upon the conditions of the invention. Act 2216 created 
a commission to secure, organize, and make an exhibit of Philippine 
products, manufactures, arts, ethnology, and education at the 
Panama-Pacific International Exposition. 

Public health: The problem of infant mortality has always puzzled 
the mind of our legislators, and so an act (2116) was passed creating 
a committee to investigate the causes of excessive infant mortality in 
the Philippine Islands and the measures to be adopted to decrease it. 

Charity and public welfare: From the beginning the government 
has always been obliged to set aside yearly funds to succor sufferers 
from calamities like typhoon. Act 2199 was among the first of such 
laws passed by the Philippine Legislature. 

Miscellaneous acts: Among the miscellaneous acts are those which 
tend to honor the memory of Filipino heroes and patriots. This 
tendency has become noticeable ever since the participation of the 
Filipinos in the legislature. Thus, during this first period act 2262 
was passed appropriating ^50,000 for the Jose Rizal School Building 
in Calamba. 

SECOND PERIOD. 
[Oct. 16, 1913, to Oct. 16, 1916.] 

Help to non-Christian peoples: The second period comprises the 
time when the Filipinos controlled a majority of the Philippine Com- 
mission. Philippine autonomy properly began at this time. This 
period is noted for the tremendous help that the legislature gave to 
the non-Christian tribes. Act 2531 passed by the Philippine Legis- 
lature under date of October 26, 1915, gave great impetus to educa- 
tional work in the non-Christian Provinces. This act appropriated 
the sum of ^1,000,000 for expenses of the bureau of education 
necessary for the construction, establishment, organization, and 
operation of additional free insular primary schools in the territory 
inhabited by Mohammedans or other non-Christian Filipinos, 
and to make the necessary provisions for normal training of teachers 
for said primary schools. This fund was allotted in proportion to the 
school population and was used for the purchase of sites, construction 
of buildings, purchase of equipment, and for current expenses, such as 
salaries and supplies. Other laws passed for the promotion of the 
non-Christian peoples and the establishment of friendly relations 
between Christians and Mohammedans are acts 2396, 2406, 2413, 
2417, 2522, 2539, 2545, 2658, 2662, and 2664. 

Agriculture: This period has produced several notable laws 
designed to solve our perplexing agricultural problems. Foremost 
among these measures is act 2508, which created the rural credit 
associations in the municipalities for the purpose of financing indi- 



84 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FEEEDOM. 

vidual agriculturists, especially the small farmers. Heretofore the 
farmers had all been at the mercy of the local usurers, as the city 
banks loaned money only to the big farmers. 

The administration of rural credit associations, however, has not 
been an easy matter. So far many of the local associations have 
not been able to collect sufficient capital to start the work. They 
have to secure the assistance of the Philippine National Bank. In 
spite of this difficulty, the growth of rural credit associations in the 
Philippines has been tremendous. The first rural credit association 
was created on October 19, 1916. There were, in 1920, over 500 
associations distributed throughout the islands. 

Other acts of interest to agriculture are acts 2573, providing for 
the mutual insurance of work animals; act 2583, directing the provin- 
cial governments to establish and maintain agricultural nurseries, and 
act 2497, setting aside a fund to be devoted to the improvement of 
breeds of work animals. 

Commerce and industry : This period has produced some important 
laws dealing with commerce and industry. One of them was the in- 
fant industry act (No. 2596) designed to promote and encourage the 
agricultural, commercial, and industrial interests of the Philippines. 
The government would guarantee a certain amount of interest for 
a period of years to all infant industries satisfying the conditions of 
the act: act 2598 established a coconut product board to encourage 
improvement of coconut products. 

During the period also was passed the law which provides for gov- 
ernment grading of fiber (act 2426), which has been the subject of so 
much comment recently. Another law of constructive tendencies is 
act 2429, which revised the insurance laws and local insurance busi- 
ness in the Philippines. Heretofore the insurance companies, 
mostly foreign owned, engaged in business under the laws of their 
mother country, to the detriment of the Filipino people. 

Finance and taxation: The greatest achievement of this period in 
finance was the establishment of the Philippine National Bank (act 
2612). Before its establishment Filipino business men and manu- 
facturers could not compete with their rivals for lack of credit. The 
big farmers of the Philippines were also in need of a bank where they 
could get money for the development of their big farms. The growth 
of the capital and resources of the National Bank from 1916 to the 
present shows the tremendous amount of business that the bank is 
doing. 

In the field of progressive taxation the Philippines made an advance 
with the enactment of act 2601 to tax inheritances and legacies. 

Public instruction: This period has not been as rich in legislation 
for public instruction as the first one. An act worthy af note, how- 
ever, on this subject is act 2482 authorizing the provincial and munic- 
ipal governments to set aside funds for pensionados to study in the 
University of the Philippines. 

Labor : The Philippines had not very many labor problems at this 
time. The only big labor question that we had was the exodus of 
laborers to Hawaii which often results in great hardships for laborers. 
Upon finding Hawaii unsatisfactory they would want to come back, 
but could not for lack of means. They also complained of bad treat- 
ment by recruiting agencies. To remedy this evil, act 2486 was passed 
requiring labor recruiting officers to deposit a certain sum of money 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDO?*!. 



85 



before they can begin business and to provide adequately for the 
safe return of laborers to the Philippines at the expiration of their 
•contract. 

THIRD PERIOD. 
[October 16, 1916, to March, 1921.] 

This period presents very many important laws worthy of thorough 
study. Unusual times called for unusual measures. America's entry 
in Europe, the economic consequences of the war, the unprecedented 
prosperity in 1917, 1918, and 1919, all contributed to the enactment 
■of bold measures, social, economic, and political. 

Public instruction : It had long been found by experts on education 
that our school facilities could not adequately meet the demand of all 
the children for education. It is true that the Philippine Legislature 
had been liberal in the appropriation acts and other special laws. We 
have noticed that the first law passed by the Philippine Legislature 
was an act appropriating ^1,000,000 for the establishment oi schools 
in the barrios. To further the cause of education the Philippine 
^Legislature, by Act 2782, appropriated ^30,000,000 to defray the 
expenses of a five-year school program calculated to accommodate 
in the schools all Filipino children who may desire to attend them. 
This is a monumental act which elicited the praise of friends and foes 
.alike of Philippine autonomy. 

The charter of the University of the Philippines was amended, giving 
the alumni and faculty members representation in the board of regents 
i(Act 2759) . 

Agriculture and natural resources — The government development 
companies: The movement, begun diu*ing the second period of our 
legislation, of allowing the government to venture in economic 
activities which for lack of private capital had hitherto remained 
dormant, was continued. The government was committed in favor 
of the policy of nationalizing and controlling industries when public 
welfare demanded such a step. 

This is the main purpose in establishing the five development 
companies. The greatest development company established by 
the government is that created by Act 2849, called the National 
Development Co., with an authorized capital of ^50,000,000. It is 
empowered to engage in an}' commercial, industrial, or agricultural 
enterprise necessary to the economic development of the country 
and its public welfare. The stock of the company is controlled, as 
in other government companies, by a committee of three, composed 
■of the Governor General, the president of the senate, and the speaker 
of the house of representatives. Other development companies 
which have been established by law, some of which have not yet begun 
to function, are the National Cement Co. (2855), the National Coal 
Co. (2705), the National Iron Co. (2862), and the National Petroleum 
Co. (2814). 

At the time when increased food production was necessary Act 2723 
was passed. Under this act the secretary of agriculture and natural 
resources was to determine, after consulting the opinion of the munic- 
ipal council concerned, what agricultural food products was most 
adaptable to each community; then all efforts to stimulate the 
production of that food product would be exerted. An appropriation 



86 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

of ^500,000 was made for this purpose. The following year further 
appropriation for this purpose was made. 

Another act that is worthy of mentioning, indicative of the trend of 
the government to help agricultiu*e, is Act 2696, which appropriated 
^35,000 for the purchase and installation of two machines which 
would develop the maguey industry. 

Commerce and industry: This period saw the creation of a separate 
bureau for the development of commerce and industry by Act 2728, 
This is the bureau of commerce and industry. This period also 
marked an attempt, though not a fruitful one, to establish a merchant 
marine. Act 2754 authorized the secretary of commerce and com- 
munications, with the concurrence of the Governor General, the 
president of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representa- 
tives, to organize a merchant marine which will engage in the trans- 
portation of products from and into the Philippines. The govern- 
ment is actually engaged in trade in those portions of the country 
inhabited by non-Christian peoples. Act 2660 deals with the de- 
velopment of trading stations in the Department of Mindanao and 
Sulu to facilitate the intercourse and exchange of merchandise 
between the Moros and Christians. 

Public health: Aside from the annual appropriation for public 
health, other measures have been passed for the improvement of 
sanitary conditions. Act 2695 provides for the isolation of prisoners 
infected with tuberculosis; act 2653 appropriated ^39,000 for hos- 
pitals in the Department of Mindanao and Sulu to combat diseases; 
acts 2740 and 2744 appropriated money for the manufacture of ''tiki- 
tiki" and for its gratuitous distribution among the indigent classes as 
a means of combating infantile beriberi. 

Charity and public welfare: It has been found convenient for the 
government to supervise the work of charity and public welfare. 
The public welfare board was first created by act 2510 as amended 
by act 2745. Act 2988, however, abolished it, and established in its 
stead a commissioner of public welfare with much enlarged powers. 
An office is maintained in Manila for the conduct of business for the 
investigation of social conditions and for the dissemination of valu- 
able sociological information. Social centers and other agencies are 
to be established and maintained throughout the islands. The money 
appropriated by the legislature for the protection of infants is dis- 
tributed by this office. 

Act 2761 appropriated ^50,000 for medicine to be distributed free 
of charge at public dispensaries. Following the former practice, the 
legislature appropriated by act 2854, ^300,000 for the relief of the 
poor sufferers from fires, typhoons, earthquakes, and other public 
calamities. 

Finance: Act 2894 grants authority to Provinces, municipalities, 
and chartered cities to incur indebtedness and issue bonds for public 
improvements under certain conditions. The recent measures pe- 
titioning the increase of the bonded indebtedness of the Philippme 
government have already been answered by Congress by allowing 
such an increase. Act 2931 provides for the issuance of bonds by the 
government of the Philippines in such sum as Congress may authorize 
for the establishment of irrigation systems in the Philippine Islands. 

Administration — the reorganization act: The most important ad- 
ministrative measure passed since 1907 v/as act 2666, which reorgan- 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOE FREEDOM. 87 

ized our executive departments. This is taken up fully in Chapter 

Another administrative change worthy of mention was made by 
act 2878, which abolished the government of the Department of 
Mindanao and Sulu as a special political division. At present there 
are only two kinds of Provinces — regular Provinces and special Prov- 
inces. All the non-Christian Provinces are under the same category. 
This works for unification of administration. Formerly the Depart- 
ment of Mindanao and Sulu formed one separate, self-governing entity 
and the special Provinces of Luzon formed another type of adminis- 
trative unit. 

Private law: The first attempt at establishing divorce in the Philip- 
pines was made by act 2716. It provides, however, that before a 
divorce can be obtained one of the parties must have been found 
guilty of adultery by a competent tribunal. 

Judicial reforms: The most noteworthy act under this heading is 
that which reorganized the courts of first instance and provides for an 
automatic exchange of places by lot between the judges of the courts 
of first instance belonging to the same rank. Every Rve years the 
judges are to be convened and those of the same class are to exchange 
places. (Act 2941.) Another act postponed the exclusive use of 
English as the sole official language of the courts until 1930. (Act 
2830.) 

Labor: At this period the Philippines were beginning to have their 
labor troubles, and act 2865 authorized the Governor General to ap- 
point a committee to investigate controversies between the owners 
and tenants of large estates. 

Mercantile regulations: One law passed during this period which 
has been objected to by foreign communities like the Chinese is act 
2972, which would prohibit the writing of account books in Chinese 
and which imposes penalty for its violation. 

Public works : Public works are taken up in the annual appropria- 
tions for public works, but a law worthy of note is act 2940, providing 
for the issuing of bonds by the government of the Philippines in the 
amount of $10,000,000 for the purpose of providing funds for public 
works. 

The militia : Act 2715, providing for the establishment of the Philip- 
pine militia, was j)assed in 1917. Its initial purpose was to help the 
United States during the Great War. 

The militia is divided into two classes : First, the regularly enlisted 
militia, known as the national guard; and, second, the reserve militia, 
composed of those who were not in active service. The Governor Gen- 
eral is the commander in chief of all the militia. There is a militia 
commission established to advise him as to the permanent organiza- 
tion, equipment and government of the national guard and the reserve 
militia. The militia commission is composed of the secretary of the 
interior, the president of both houses of the Philippine Legislature or 
their representatives, the secretary of finance, the secretary of justice, 
and two other members appointed by the Governor General. 

Franchises : It will be worthy of note that franchises have multiplied 
during this period, a fact which shows great economic activity. Dur- 
ing this time 41 franchises have been granted by the legislature. 
There were only 18 in the first period and 21 in the second period. 

Memorials and recognitions of merit: It is proper to create a sepa- 
rate subheading for those acts of the Philippine Legislature which 



88 FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 

honored the memory of people who have rendered service to the 
Filipino people or gave recognition to those who are still living but 
who are illustrious by the magnitude of the work th^t they have done. 
Act No. 2795 appropriated ^60,000 for the erection of a mausoleum to. 
perpetuate the memory of the late Hon. William Atkinson Jones, the 
author of the Jones law. Act 2810 authorized the creation of a com- 
mission to take charge of the preliminary work for the celebration of 
the fourth centennial of the discovery of the Philippines by Magellan. 
Act 2918 authorized the payment of special remuneration to Frank 
W. Carpenter for his work in Mindanao and Sulu. Similarly life pen- 
sions were given to Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, former President of the 
Philippine Republic, and the late Cayetano Arellano, chief justice of 
the supreme court. (Acts 2922 and 2909, respectively.) 

National ideals: Act 2928 is replete with memories of the past, for 
it revived the old flag of the Republic and made it an ofiicial flag of 
the government of the Philippines. Act 2933 provides for a standing, 
appropriation of ^1,000,000 every 3^ear for the commission of inde- 
pendence. 

OUR LEGISLATIVE RECORD. 

We do not contend for a moment that the legislature has made no 
mistakes. It has made mistakes, undoubtedly. But so has every 
law-making body in the world. And when it comes down to the real 
issue as to whether it has served the country with the highest of serv- 
ice and public weKare, our legislature can well bear the scrutiny of 
the most hostile critics. It has produced a record of which any legis- 
lative body of the world might well be proud. 

XVIII. General Conclusions. 

An impartial reading of the mission's memorial to the President as 
well as of the statement of conditions, will, we believe, inevitably 
lead to the following conclusions: 

1. A stable government has already been established in the Philip- 
pines. Therefore, the only prerequisite established by the Congress 
of the United States as a condition precedent to the granting of inde- 
pendence is fulfilled by the people of the Philippine Islands. The 
granting of the independence is the next logical immediate step. 

2. From 1914 to 1921, with the Filipino people in greater control 
of their government, more rapid progress has been made and greater 
improvements effected in all Philippine activities — social, economic, 
and governmental — than in any other similar period in Philippine 
history. Therefore, the mere mention of backward steps and of 
taking away powers and prerogatives already enjoyed by the Filipino 
people is politically unwarranted and indefensively absurd. 

3. During this period (1914 to 1921) the political capacity of the 
people has been tried and has met every acid test. In 1921 the 
Philippine government was more scientifically and efficiently organ- 
ized than in any other period in Philippine history. A successful 
reorganization of the executive departments had been effected. A 
budget system had been established. Increased activities and 
greater results were obtained from all the bureaus of the government, 
including the bureaus of education, justice, and lands and the Philip- 
pine Health Service. 



FILIPINO APPEAL FOR FREEDOM. 89 

4. The Filipino desire for independence is not born of ingratitude 
toward the United States, but is the natural sequence of nearly a 
quarter of a century of joint American and Filipino efforts in the 
most successful experiment in democracy ever attempted in the 
Tropics. 

5. A further delay in the recognition of Philippine independence 
after so many years of patient labor and constant struggle will be 
prejudicial to the best interests of both the American and Filipino 
peoples. 

6. The granting of independence at this time mil be a strong factor 
for international peace. 

If the independence of the Philippines could now be secured as an amicable agree- 
ment between the two peoples, nay, even as an act of magnanimity on the part of a sov- 
ereign power, how much would that mean for the peace of the world! How much 
more would that add to the prestige of the United States when she again appears 
before the world as a champion of democracy and human liberty! 

XIX. Appendix. 

INSTRUCTIONS OF THE COMMISSION OF INDEPENDENCE TO THB 
PHILIPPINE PARLIAMENTARY MISSION. 

Gentlemen, in compliance with a resolution of the Philippine Legis- 
lature, the commission of independence is sending you to the United 
States to continue the work already begun for independence and to 
obtain from the people and Government of the United States the im- 
mediate recognition of the absolute and complete independence of our 
country. A resolution to this effect has been approved by the com- 
mission of independence, and is attached hereto. 

The mission shall bring before the President and Congress of the 
United States this just deruand of the Filipino people. The sacred 
promise made by the American people to grant us our independence 
as soon as a stable government could be established in our country 
should be without delay complied with. The Fihpino people have not 
only demonstrated their capacity to establish a stable government 
but, in fact, such a government has already been established and 
has been functioning for a long time. Knowing as we do America's sj 
love for liberty and justice, and her respect for her given word, we 
are confident that our voice will no longer be ignored. 

It is not our purpose, neither is it the purpose of the Filipino 
people, to obtain independence by halves or independence which 
IS not consecrated to the principle that the Fihpino people shall be 
free to solve their domestic questions and determine their external 
relations. 

The necessity of discussing what guaranties should be established 
to insure the stability of the existence of an independent Philippine 
government seems to have vanished as a result of changes in inter- 
national relations and the salutary effects of the disarmament con- 
ference, especially the ratification of the so-called four-power treaty 
relative to the problems of thie Pacific. 

Neither is it any longer necessary to dwell upon the progress of 
our country under the administration of Filipinos in accordance with 
the government authorized by the Jones law, because this progress 
has been in a great measure recognized in the report of the special 

H. Doc. 511, 67-4 7 



90 FILIPINO APPEAL. FOR FREEDOM. 

mission sent to these islands last March by President Harding. 
There are reasons, however, why we should question certain parts 
of the report of that special mission, especially those which refer to 
the stability of the present Philippine government. The second 
independence mission should be fully informed of the effects the 
extensive publicity given to that report has made upon American 
public opinion in general and upon their Government officials. It 
shall be the special care of the mission in the event that public 
opinion in America has been unfavorably impressed by the report 
to give out truthful and actual facts and describe the actual condi- 
tions in the islands as well as the satisfactory results obtained under 
the present government, together with the bright prospects which 
the future holds for the establishment of a government completely 
and absolutely independent. 

This second mission may consider itself fully authorized to organize 
and reorganize itself in the form that it may deem convenient, and, 
taking into account unforeseen difficulties and unfavorable circum- 
stances, it is also authorized to detail, if it so deems convenient after 
the immediate work of the mission is accomplished, a portion of the 
delegation to remain in America to organize new publicity agencies 
or to extend those already in existence. 

The independence commission is aware of the enormous and 
various difficulties which will probably confront the work of the 
second mission to the United States. It is also aware of the com- 
plexity of the problem the mission has to solve and the circumstances 
it will have to contend with in order to obtain positive results. The 
commission hopes and is confident that the second mission will 
know how to meet whatever difficulties may arise and will be equal 
to the occasion, sparing no efforts or time to achieve success. But 
if after having exhausted all the means within its power and com- 
mand it fails to attain the object for which it has been sent or if in 
the course of its negotiations new aspects or questions present them- 
selves which the mission does not deem within its province to solve 
and decide, it shall make a report and recommendation to this 
commission in order that new or additional instructions may be 
sent. 

The declaration of purposes and the instructions to the first 
Philippine mission of 1919 shall be taken as the principal guide for 
the work of the second mission. In complying, however, with those 
instructions as well as with the present the second mission shall 
consider itself authorized freely to act without embarrassment and 
in consonance with the spirit rather than the letter of said instruc- 
tions and declaration of purposes, since the primordial object which 
actuates us in this great campaign is to secure the absolute, complete, 
and immediate independence of the Philippines. 

o 



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